[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 8]
[House]
[Pages 11334-11335]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1200
                        HONORING JOHN DAVID CROW

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 6, 2015, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Flores) is recognized 
for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
  Mr. FLORES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of my 
constituents, John David Crow, of College Station, Texas, who passed 
away on June 17.
  To say that John David Crow is a Texas football legend is an 
understatement. He was a Heisman Trophy winner, a four-time NFL Pro 
Bowl selection, a college football coach, and an administrator for the 
Texas A&M University Athletic Department.
  John David was born on July 8, 1935, in Marion, Louisiana. When he 
was born, the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck, causing nerve 
damage and permanently paralyzing the left half of his face. John 
David, however, never let that hardship hold him back.
  As a junior at Springhill High School, he led the football team to 
win the Class 1A State championship in 1952. As a senior, he led the 
basketball team to win the Class 1A State championship in 1954.
  After graduating from high school, John David married his high school 
sweetheart, Carolyn Gilliam, on July 2, 1954. Earlier that year, John 
David had committed to play football at Texas A&M University for 
legendary coach Paul ``Bear'' Bryant; so, in the fall of 1954, John 
David and Carolyn moved to College Station.
  During his time at Texas A&M, John David would play running back, 
defensive positions, and special teams as a kick returner. He truly was 
the complete collegiate football package.
  In 1956, he led the Aggies to their first ever road victory against 
archrival, the University of Texas, at Memorial Stadium in Austin. He 
also led the Aggies to a number one ranking during the 1957 season.
  Some of the accolades that John David received as an Aggie included 
being named twice to the Southwest Conference all-conference team in 
1956 and 1957. He also received all of the following recognitions in 
1957: a consensus All-American, the Walter Camp Memorial Trophy, the 
Southwesterner of the Year and Amateur Athlete of the Year, the Chick 
Harley Award, the United Press Player of the Year, the United Press 
Back of the Year, and the Heisman Trophy.
  John David was Texas A&M University's first Heisman Trophy winner and 
the only Heisman Trophy winner to ever be coached by the legendary Bear 
Bryant. When Bear Bryant retired from coaching, he was quoted as 
saying: ``John David Crow was the finest player I ever coached. 
Watching film on him was like watching a grown man play with boys.''
  John David would graduate from Texas A&M with a degree in business 
administration and was named to the Scholastic All-American team. He 
was also recognized as a Who's Who in American Colleges and 
Universities.
  John David would go on to play in the NFL after being drafted in the 
first round to play for the then Chicago Cardinals, in Chicago and St. 
Louis, and playing for the San Francisco 49ers. He was named to the Pro 
Bowl four times and named to the NFL's 1960 All-Decade Team.
  After retiring from the NFL, John David began his football coaching 
career, starting as an assistant for his former coach Bear Bryant at 
Alabama. He continued his career as an assistant coach in the NFL for 
the Cleveland Browns and the San Diego Chargers. In 1976, he was named 
athletic director

[[Page 11335]]

and head football coach of Northeast Louisiana University.
  In 1981, John David would leave Northeast Louisiana University to 
work for a private business for a couple of years. In 1983, he returned 
to his alma mater, Texas A&M University, first as associate athletic 
director, later as athletic director, and finally, as director of 
athletic development.
  During this time, he was at the forefront of collegiate athletic 
gender equity as he helped expand women's athletics at Texas A&M to the 
powerhouse that it is today. In 2001, John David would retire from A&M, 
but he still maintained a presence on campus and in the Bryan/College 
Station community.
  John David Crow was a great athlete, coach, and athletic 
administrator. He was inducted into the Texas A&M University Hall of 
Fame in 1968 and the Louisiana Hall of Fame in 1976. He was named to 
the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame in 1976 and the Texas 
Sports Hall of Fame in 1982. He was named a Distinguished Alumnus by 
Texas A&M University in 2004 and was honored during the Aggies' first 
year in the Southeastern Conference as an SEC Legend at the 2012 SEC 
Championship Game.
  While John David was dedicated to his career, he was also very much 
dedicated to his wife, Carolyn, and to their family. He and Carolyn had 
three children: John, Jr., Annalisa, and Jeannie. They were also 
blessed with seven grandchildren.
  John David was forever thankful for everything Carolyn did for their 
family. He was once quoted as saying: ``Whatever credit I get for doing 
anything, she deserves a lot more than I do. She has been the 
stabilizer for our family and very, very good to me.''
  Mr. Speaker, John David Crow was a humble, kind, generous, and an 
all-around great man. The greatness that he evoked reached far beyond 
the football field. He truly embodied the core values of Texas A&M 
University--respect, integrity, leadership, excellence, loyalty, and 
selfless service.
  He will be greatly missed and will long be remembered as a great 
athlete, coach, and athletic administrator. More importantly, he will 
be remembered as a loving husband, a father, a grandfather, and as a 
friend.
  My wife, Gina, and I offer our deepest and heartfelt condolences to 
Carolyn and to the Crow family. We also lift up the family and friends 
of John David Crow in our thoughts and in our prayers.
  Also, as I close this conversation about John David Crow, I ask that 
all Americans continue to pray for our country, for our military men 
and women who protect us from external threats, and for our first 
responders who protect us here at home.


                          Honoring Jack Gilley

  Mr. FLORES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Jack Calvin Gilley of 
Stratford, Texas, who passed away on May 9, 2015.
  As a teacher and principal for 34 years, Mr. Gilley touched the lives 
of hundreds of students and schools throughout Oklahoma and the Texas 
Panhandle. I was fortunate enough to have Mr. Gilley as a principal 
during my time at Stratford Middle School.
  Jack Gilley was born in Dawson County, Texas, in 1924. He proudly 
served in the United States Navy during World War II as a torpedoman on 
the USS Stockdale. He attended Panhandle A&M College on basketball and 
baseball scholarships. Additionally, he received his master's in 
education from West Texas State University in 1963.
  In 1951, Jack married Donna Mal Oldaker. They were married for nearly 
59 years, until her passing in 2010. Donna and Jack had four daughters 
and were blessed with one granddaughter.
  After retiring from teaching, Jack began his secondary profession of 
painting houses, refinishing furniture, and carpentry. He was a member 
of the First United Methodist Church of Stratford, as well as a member 
of the American Legion Post 262. He loved hunting pheasant and quail; 
eating breakfast and drinking coffee with his friends at the local 
cafe; and all things rodeo and all things sports, especially Duke 
basketball.
  Mr. Speaker, Jack Gilley impacted many lives, including mine, as an 
educator and as a mentor. He will be greatly missed and long remembered 
as a loving husband, a father, a grandfather, and a friend.
  My wife, Gina, and I offer our deepest and heartfelt condolences to 
the Gilley family, and we lift up the family and friends of Jack Gilley 
in our prayers.
  Mr. Speaker, as I close, I ask that all Americans continue to pray 
for our country, for our military men and women who protect us from 
external threats, and for our first responders who protect us here at 
home.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

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