[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 1]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 140-141]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   CONGRATULATING THE 2012 BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONS, THE UNIVERSITY OF 
                          ALABAMA CRIMSON TIDE

                                 ______
                                 

                             HON. JO BONNER

                               of alabama

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, January 14, 2013

  Mr. BONNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to an exceptional 
group of young men who, for the second year in a row, have 
distinguished themselves as the undisputed national champions of 
college football. On January 7, 2013, the University of Alabama Crimson 
Tide captured the BCS National Championship with a decisive 42 to 14 
victory over the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.
  By clinching their third BCS national championship in four years, the 
Crimson Tide has cemented their place in college football history and 
prompted some to ask if this remarkable team might be unequalled in the 
storied annals of the game.
  As Kevin Scarbinsky of the Birmingham News observed in a January 8 
op-ed,

       All the while Notre Dame was reliving history, Alabama was 
     making it. All over the golden domes of the Fighting Irish. 
     Only one team played like a champion Monday in the BCS 
     National Championship Game. Only one team shook down the 
     thunder with old-school football and woke up the echoes of 
     the

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     greatest dynasties in the sport. Yea Alabama. The Crimson 
     Tide became the third program in the poll era of college 
     football history to win a third national championship in four 
     years by taking apart the first program to do it. The Notre 
     Dame champions of 1946, 1947 and 1949 would appreciate the 
     Alabama champions of 2009, 2011 and 2012 because Alabama's 
     third title came at Notre Dame's expense, right in Notre 
     Dame's face.
       Given that Alabama plays in a Southeastern Conference 
     that's won seven straight BCS titles, in a state with a rival 
     in Auburn that interrupted this parade with its own 
     championship, we're witnessing the greatest run in college 
     football history. Greater than Notre Dame in the 1940s, 
     Alabama in the 1970s or Nebraska in the 1990s.
       To win it again Monday was special. To do it against Notre 
     Dame, Alabama's historical nemesis, was memorable. To leave 
     no doubt on the scoreboard leaves no doubt in the debate. 
     This was history. This is a dynasty. The best we've ever 
     seen. The best there's ever been.

  Congratulations to head coach Nick Saban, and coaches Burton Burns, 
Mike Groh, Doug Nussmeier, Jeff Stoutland, Jeremy Pruitt, Kirby Smart, 
Lance Thompson, Bobby Williams, Chris Rumph, Scott Cochran, and Joe 
Pannunzio. And, above all, congratulations to the 2012 BCS Champion 
Crimson Tide football team: Edward Aldag, Ryan Anderson, Jonathan 
Atchison, Dakota Ball, Parker Barrineau, Kenny Bell, Deion Belue, 
Jerrod Bierbower, Chris Black, Chris Bonds, Hunter Bush, Brent 
Calloway, Caleb Castille, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, Landon Collins, Levi Cook, 
Amari Cooper, Trey DePriest, Denzel Devall, Quinton Dial, Josh 
Dickerson, Xzavier Dickson, Dillon Drake, Kenyan Drake, Dustin Ellison, 
Phillip Ely, Malcolm Faciane, LaMichael Fanning, D.J. Fluker, Cade 
Foster, Jalston Fowler, Kurt Freitag, John Fulton, Brandon Greene, Adam 
Griffith, Caleb Gulledge, Rowdy Harrell, Dee Hart, Tyler Hayes, Ben 
Howell, Adrian Hubbard, Brandon Ivory, Kelly Johnson, Nico Johnson, 
Aaron Joiner, Barrett Jones, Christion Jones, Cyrus Jones, Harrison 
Jones, Ryan Kelly, Korren Kirven, Arie Kouandjio, Cyrus Kouandjio, 
Eddie Lacy, Darren Lake, Dillon Lee, Robert Lester, Chad Lindsay, 
Wilson Love, Isaac Luatua, Josh Magee, Cody Mandell, Nathan McAlister, 
AJ McCarron, Corey McCarron, Dee Milliner, William Ming, Alec Morris, 
Taylor Morton, C.J. Mosley, Michael Newsome, Harold Nicholson, Kevin 
Norwood, Michael Nysewander, Anthony Orr, Tyler Owens, Jeoffrey Pagan, 
Tana Patrick, Nick Perry, D. J. Pettway, Parker Philpot, Marcus Polk, 
Reggie Ragland, Russell Raines, Ty Reed, Trey Roberts, Jeremy Shelley, 
Austin Shepherd, Alex Shine, Marvin Shinn, Blake Sims, Geno Smith, 
Damion Square, Anthony Steen, Ed Stinson, Vinnie Sunseri, Bradley 
Sylve, Alphonse Taylor, MK Taylor, Carson Tinker, Dalvin Tomlinson, 
Brian Vogler, Paul Waldrop, Chance Warmack, Jabriel Washington, Ranzell 
Watkins, DeAndrew White, Wilson Whorton, Eddie Williams, Jarrick 
Williams, Jesse Williams, Kellen Williams, Michael Williams, Nick 
Williams, Danny Woodson Jr, and T.J. Yeldon.
  And on behalf of Bama fans around the world, Roll Tide!