House Resolution 21

A RESOLUTION MOURNING THE LOSS AND COMMENDING THE CAREER OF OLE MISS AND MISSISSIPPI SPORTS LEGEND LARRY GRANTHAM AND EXTENDING CONDOLENCES TO HIS SURVIVING FAMILY.

WHEREAS, it is written in Ecclesiastes 3:1, "To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under the Heaven," and as such, the immaculate author and finisher of our soul's destiny summoned the mortal presence of dearly beloved, Mr. Larry Grantham, to rest eternally, as he has made life's final transition from earthly travailing to heavenly reward, rendering great sorrow and loss to his family and friends; and

WHEREAS, born in the quiet town of Crystal Springs, Mississippi, on September 16, 1938, Ole Miss and the State of Mississippi lost a sports legend on June 17, 2017, with the passing of football star Larry Grantham, 78, who was also a member of the Super Bowl III Champion New York Jets, and there is now a hush in our hearts as we come together to pay our respects to the memory of one who has been called to join that innumerable heavenly caravan as he enjoys the eternal peace described in Luke 2:29, "Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word"; and

WHEREAS, a member of the Ole Miss Athletic Hall of Fame, Grantham played linebacker for legendary Ole Miss Coach John Vaught from 1957 to 1959, earning three letters, and helped lead the Rebels to a 28-4-1 record, including Sugar Bowl victories over Texas and LSU, and a win over Florida in the Gator Bowl, as well as making an impressive showing on the green diamond as a letterman on Coach Tom Swayze's 1958 Ole Miss Baseball Team; and

WHEREAS, the 1959 Rebels' gridiron team, which finished 10-1 and earned a share of the national championship, is considered one of the best in Ole Miss football history, where Grantham played a key role as the 1959 Rebels' defense shut out eight opponents, while allowing only two touchdowns all season and outscored its opposition 329-21 that season, with the only other touchdown given up being LSU great Billy Cannon's 89-yard punt return on Halloween night in Baton Rouge that lifted the Tigers to a 7-3 win; and WHEREAS, the Rebels' regular season loss to the Tigers would be avenged two months later in a Sugar Bowl rematch as the Rebels dominated LSU, 21-0, as Grantham, who also caught an 18-yard touchdown pass from Bobby Franklin, limited the 1959 Heisman Trophy winner Cannon to only eight yards; and

WHEREAS, a two-time All-Southeastern Conference selection and chosen to play in the Hula Bowl All-Star Game, Grantham, a member of the Ole Miss Team of the Century, was inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame in 1980 and the Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame in 1995; and

WHEREAS, following his Ole Miss career, Grantham was drafted in 1960 by the New York Titans/Jets of the American Football League and the Baltimore Colts of the National Football League, choosing to sign with the Titans where he quickly established himself as one of the key players of a Jets defense that made the playoffs in 1968 and 1969, winning the AFL Championship in 1968 and then defeating the Baltimore Colts, 16-7, in Super Bowl III on January 12, 1969, in which he is credited with three tackles and two pass defenses in the win over the Colts, a game which Jets' Quarterback Joe Namath had guaranteed a New York victory; and

WHEREAS, with Grantham as the starter, the New York AFL franchise went from the worst team in an upstart league to World Champions in nine years, and during his 13-year career, Grantham standing at only 6'0" and weighing in at 193 pounds, a Davidesque stature among a throng of Goliaths, was a five-time AFL All-Star with the team, named to the American Football League All-Time All-AFL Second Team and tapped as the 1971 Jets MVP, amazing feats which insured his induction, as one of only 10 players, into the New York Jets' Ring of Honor in 2011; and

WHEREAS, Grantham, who played one last season in 1974 for the Florida Blazers in the World Football League after leaving the Jets in 1972, maintains the Jets' franchise record of 175 AFL/NFL career games played and his defensive totals included 43 individual takeaways; and

WHEREAS, following his professional career, Grantham spent time broadcasting Jets games on the radio and was involved in business and banking, while remaining close to the Ole Miss family, serving as Sideline Reporter on the Ole Miss Radio Football Network from 1980 to 1982; and

WHEREAS, we encourage the family to find solace from the overwhelming sadness created by the earthly departure of their beloved family member and be renewed in their faith that Mr. Grantham fulfilled the purpose of his appointed time in adherence to the commandment of II Timothy 4:7, by having "fought a good fight, finishing his course and keeping the faith until the hour of his departure was at hand"; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the House of Representatives to commend the life of such a giant of an individual as Mr. Grantham, whose name and immense athletic talent brought great recognition to his family, community and the entire State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby mourn the loss and commend the career of Ole Miss and Mississippi Sports Legend Larry Grantham, and extend sincere condolences to his family and friends upon his passing.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be presented to the surviving family of Larry Grantham, forwarded to the Ole Miss Sports Hall of Fame and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.