[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 16024]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                       TRIBUTE TO KOREY STRINGER

                                 ______
                                 

                      HON. JAMES A. TRAFICANT, JR.

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, August 1, 2001

  Mr. TRAFICANT. Mr. Speaker, I am deeply saddened to share the news of 
the passing of Korey Stringer.
  Fans of football, the Minnesota Vikings, and the community of the 
greater St. Paul and Minneapolis area have suffered a great loss. All-
Pro Offensive Tackle Korey Stringer was more than a great athlete; he 
was a great American.
  This native of Warren, Ohio had his life cut short while training for 
the game he loved. However, in that short life Korey contributed much 
to the teams he played for and communities he lived in. While in high 
school at Warren Harding High School, in my district, Korey personally 
achieved status as an all-Ohio player twice and was a unanimous All-
American his senior year. As a senior, Korey recorded an incredible 52 
tackles as a defensive tackle and was named Ohio Division I Lineman of 
the Year. These accomplishments are impressive, but Korey was always 
more proud of Warren Harding's undefeated season that led to a state 
title his junior year. Korey was a player that was consistently 
concerned with those around him and made every effort possible to aid 
them.
  Many players with impressive high school accolades never quite make 
it in college, but this was not the case for Korey Stringer. After 
doing a fine job representing his hometown, Korey did an excellent job 
representing the entire state while playing for Ohio State University. 
In his first year, Korey was selected as Big Ten Freshman of the Year. 
The awards continued for Korey as he was named Big Ten Offensive 
Lineman of the Year for both 1993 and 1994, Ohio State's Most Valuable 
Player in 1994, and two time All-American.
  After being drafted as the 24th overall selection in the 1995 draft, 
Korey joined the Minnesota Vikings. He played with dedication to the 
game, the fans, and his teammates as he only missed three games in six 
seasons. Last season was a breakout year for Korey as he was named to 
the All-Pro team and helped Robert Smith set the team records for 
single-season and career rushing total. Playing as an offensive 
lineman, it is hard to assess the achievements of the individual. With 
Korey, it is much easier because his achievements came both on and off 
the field. While on the field, the Vikings, Robert Smith, and every 
quarterback to play since 1995 have succeeded as a result of Korey's 
efforts. Additionally, the Vikings have been one of the most successful 
teams in the NFL, reaching the NFC Championship game several times. Off 
the field, Stringer has contributed to the community with the ``Super 
Viking Challenge'' at local schools and libraries.
  My heart and my prayers go out today to Korey's wife Kelci, his son 
Kodie Drew, and his extended family. My thoughts also go out to the 
players on the Minnesota Vikings with whom Korey played. Korey was a 
great American and superb football player. He will be deeply missed.

                          ____________________