MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION 2015

By: Representatives Holloway, Clarke, Gibbs, To: Rules Denton, Harrison, Johnson, Middleton, Wooten

HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 12

1 A RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING THE ALCORN STATE 2 UNIVERSITY BRAVES FOOTBALL TEAM ON THEIR OUTSTANDING 2014 SEASON, 3 FINISHING WITH A 10-3 OVERALL RECORD, WINNING THE 2014 4 SOUTHWESTERN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP, AND BEING RANKED 5 NO. 1 IN THE FCS AS THE 2014 BLACK COLLEGE NATIONAL CHAMPIONS. 6 WHEREAS, on Saturday, December 6, 2014, at NRG Stadium in 7 , Texas, the Alcorn State University Braves Football Team

8 won the 2014 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Championship 9 by defeating the Southern University and A&M College Jaguars 10 Football Team in a victory of 38-24; and

11 WHEREAS, for the Braves, the storybook win marked the tenth 12 SWAC Championship title, the first victory in a SWAC Championship 13 game, the first time in the football program's history that the

14 team has won 10 games in a season, ending their season with a 10-3 15 record; and 16 WHEREAS, the Braves finished their 2014 Division I-AA 17 Football Championship Series (FCS) season ranked 1st in the nation

18 in the Sheridan Broadcasting Network, Heritage Sports Radio

H. R. No. 12 *HR40/R1477* ~ OFFICIAL ~ N1/2 15/HR40/R1477 PAGE 1 (AJT\BD) 19 Network, American Urban Radio Network and Box-to-Row sports media 20 polls; and 21 WHEREAS, in their regular season outing on September 27,

22 2014, Alcorn State demolished Southern by 40 points and ruined the 23 Jaguars' season by destroying Southern's chance of winning a 24 revenge game and repeating as SWAC Champions; and 25 WHEREAS, Alcorn State University Head Football Coach James

26 "Jay" Hopson (23-13), a native of Vicksburg, Mississippi, has 27 coached great teams during his three-year tenure, but the 2014 28 squad has been his best yet, as the Braves overwhelmed their

29 opponents all season long, outscoring their opponents 572-254 in 30 10 victories, through a potent combo of dominant defense and 31 powerful offense; and

32 WHEREAS, Braves junior quarterback, SWAC Co-Offensive Player 33 of the Year and Championship Game Offensive MVP, John Gibbs, Jr., 34 could not be contained by the Jaguars defense, as he completed

35 20-of-30 passing attempts for 245 yards, throwing three touchdown 36 passes and rushing for 132 yards on 16 carries for the most 37 rushing yards in the history of the championship game, and

38 becoming the first quarterback in Alcorn history to rush for 1,000 39 yards in a season; and 40 WHEREAS, the Braves rode big offensive performances from a 41 ploughing offensive line, running backs, Anthony Williams III and

42 Arron Baker, and wide receivers, Jordan Payne, Zerick Rollins,

H. R. No. 12 *HR40/R1477* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 15/HR40/R1477 PAGE 2 (AJT\BD) 43 Jr., Billy Shed, Charles Hughes and Brandon Vessell, who hauled in 44 the fascinating final touchdown catch that put the game away; and 45 WHEREAS, junior wide receiver, Jarvis Turner, set a new

46 all-time record in the SWAC Championship Game by returning five 47 kick-offs for 133 yards; and 48 WHEREAS, sophomore kicker, Haiden McCraney, set a new 49 all-time SWAC Championship Game record in PATs made with 5-of-5

50 attempts; and 51 WHEREAS, the Braves defense displayed impressive play, 52 particularly senior linebacker, William Thomas II, who recovered a

53 Jaguars fumble, recorded nine solo tackles and was named the 54 Championship Game's Defensive MVP; and 55 WHEREAS, the Braves dominated the game statistically and held

56 their opponent to only 24 points ensuring the Braves never trailed 57 the Jaguars in the match-up; and 58 WHEREAS, the Braves became the first team in the SWAC Eastern

59 Division to win the championship game in their first appearance; 60 and 61 WHEREAS, the 2014 SWAC Championship Game attracted 39,583

62 fans, the fourth largest crowd in the 15-year history of the 63 championship game, was broadcast live on ESPN, showcased before a 64 national audience, and showed that the Alcorn Braves had risen 65 back to the top of our state and nation after two decades of

66 playing in the shadow of other programs; and

H. R. No. 12 *HR40/R1477* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 15/HR40/R1477 PAGE 3 (AJT\BD) 67 WHEREAS, finishing their season with an impressive 10-3 68 overall record, the Braves defeated Virginia University Lynchburg, 69 Louisiana College, Mississippi Valley State University, Southern

70 University, Alabama State University, Texas Southern University, 71 Prairie View A&M University, Alabama A&M University, the 72 University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, and Southern University; and 73 WHEREAS, for the second consecutive season, the Alcorn State

74 Football Team has produced the most players on the Southwestern 75 Athletic Conference (SWAC) All-Conference 1st Team with John 76 Gibbs, Jr., earning the Co-Offensive Player of the Year honor; and

77 WHEREAS, the All-SWAC 1st Team offense also included Isaac 78 Sampson (OL) and Jordan Payne (TE); and 79 WHEREAS, defensive linemen, Deion Roberson and Darien Moody,

80 and defensive backs, Warren Gatewood and Devon Francois, each 81 earned 1st Team All-SWAC defensive honors; and 82 WHEREAS, Anthony Williams III (RB) and Detonio Dade (OL) made

83 the All-SWAC 2nd Team offense, and Damon Watkins (LB) was named to 84 the All-SWAC 2nd Team defense; and 85 WHEREAS, sophomore kicker, Haiden McCraney, was named the

86 All-SWAC 2nd Team kicker and punter; and 87 WHEREAS, the 2014 Alcorn State University Football Roster was 88 comprised of: Deago Sama, WR; Joe Price, RB; John Gibbs, Jr., QB; 89 Anthony Williams III, RB; Tollette George, WR; Tavares Johnson,

90 Jr., QB; Jordan Payne, TE; Jarvis Turner, WR; Zerick

H. R. No. 12 *HR40/R1477* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 15/HR40/R1477 PAGE 4 (AJT\BD) 91 Rollins, Jr., WR; Jaborian McKenzie, WR; Brandon Vessell, WR; 92 Billy Shed, WR; Desmond Stevenson, DB; Ben Brooks, DB; Fenest 93 Haiden McCraney, K/P; Lenorris Footman, QB; Anthony Williams, Jr.,

94 DB; C.J. Morgan, DB; Quinton Cantue, DB; Darryan Ragsdale, RB; 95 Devon Francois, DB; Warren Gatewood, DB; Devin Fleming, 96 DB; Casey Freeman, TE; Daniel Franklin, DB; Kylan Johnson, DB; 97 Jeremiah Sams, RB; Hendrick Taylor, DB; Christian Brown, DB;

98 Stacey Garner, LB; Damon Watkins, LB; Corey Williams, LB; Ashton 99 Hall, RB; Arron Baker, LB; Jamil Cooks, DE; Robert Clay, RB; 100 Jestin Williams, LB; D’Andre Smith, DB; Nicholas Brown, DB;

101 Alondrea Young, FB; Josh Ivery, RB; Darien Anderson, LB; Jayron 102 Harness, DB; Michael Lester, RB; Michael Hums, LB; Terrell 103 Williams, LB; Marcquiso Jean, P; Ramonte Bell, DL; William Thomas

104 II, LB; Dwayne King, Jr., LB; Cameron Carter, LB; Deion Roberson, 105 LB; Darien Moody, DE; Frederick Ross, LB; Rickey Joseph, DL; 106 Dareio Harvey, LS; Rodneal Smith, DL; Mauola Malaga, OL; Iskeli

107 Ongosia, OL; Toto'a Leilua, OL; Detonio Dade, OL; Jeremy Tom, OL; 108 Johnathan Scott, OL; Jeffery Reno, Jr., OL; Chris McRea, OL; Eric 109 Snow, OL; Leroy Greenidge, OL; Isaac Sampson, OL; Charles Hughes,

110 WR; Nick Sanders, WR; Stephen Glover, WR; LaDarrien Davis, WR; 111 Jalen Walker, WR; Norlando Veals, WR; Malcolm Grant, WR; Genoa 112 Sartin, WR; Brandon Campbell, WR; Lamarvin Ashley, WR; Metise 113 Moore, TE; Kenyon Brantley, DL; Jamil Johnson, DL; Sterling

114 Shippy, DL; Michael Brooks, Jr., DE; Jeremy Jordan, DL; Ladonn 115 Bolden, DL; Carrington Aloese, DL; Ernesto Santillan, K; Deion

H. R. No. 12 *HR40/R1477* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 15/HR40/R1477 PAGE 5 (AJT\BD) 116 McNair, DL; Johnathon Hauer, WR; Troy Hobbs, WR; Julius Lawrence, 117 LB; Eric Foster, DB; Darius Dean, RB; Head Coach ; 118 Assistant Coaches: Fred McNair (AHC/QBs), Willie Simmons

119 (OC), Ryan Stanchek (OL), Leroy Frederick (WRs), Lane Powell (TE), 120 Tony Pecoraro (DC), Ralph Street (DL), Cedric Thomas (DBs), Wes 121 Turner (NBs), Reggie Haralson (S&C), and William Prince (S&C); 122 Graduate Assistant Coach Yancey Satterwhite; and

123 WHEREAS, Head Coach Hopson and the Braves have brought 124 additional honor to themselves and Alcorn State University with 125 this 2014 SWAC Championship, proving that Alcorn State University

126 is the place to go in Mississippi to win conference and national 127 championships; and 128 WHEREAS, Alcorn is the oldest public historically black

129 land-grant institution in the United States and the second-oldest 130 state-supported institution of higher learning in Mississippi; and 131 WHEREAS, Alcorn University was founded in 1871 as a result of

132 the people of Mississippi's efforts to educate the descendants of 133 formerly enslaved Africans, and was named in honor of the 17th 134 Governor of Mississippi, James L. Alcorn; and

135 WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to 136 recognize and commend with great pride such a superb group of 137 student athletes and their coaches, all of whom have brought honor 138 to their school, their community and to the State of Mississippi:

139 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF 140 REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby

H. R. No. 12 *HR40/R1477* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 15/HR40/R1477 PAGE 6 (AJT\BD) 141 commend and congratulate the Alcorn State University Braves 142 Football Team and Head Coach Jay Hopson for their outstanding 2014 143 season, their victory in the 2014 SWAC Championship Game, being

144 named the undisputed 2014 Black College National Champions, and 145 extend best wishes for continued success in all of their future 146 academic and athletic endeavors. 147 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be

148 furnished to President Alfred Rankins, Jr., Head Coach Jay Hopson, 149 the Mississippi Board of Trustees of Institutions of Higher 150 Learning and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.

H. R. No. 12 *HR40/R1477* ~ OFFICIAL ~ 15/HR40/R1477 ST: Alcorn State University Braves Football PAGE 7 (AJT\BD) Team; commend and congratulate on winning the 2014 SWAC Championship.