House Resolution 61

A RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING NFL SUPER BOWL LIV CHAMPION KANSAS CITY CHIEFS FOOTBALL OFFENSIVE TACKLE MARTINAS ORLANDO RANKIN WHO WAS A STANDOUT AT MENDENHALL HIGH SCHOOL AND MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

WHEREAS, Super Bowl LIV featured nine players with Mississippi connections, five with the Kansas City Chiefs and four with the San Francisco 49ers and among the championship Kansas City team stars was Offensive Tackle Martinas Orlando Rankin from Mendenhall, Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, Martinas Orlando Rankin was born October 20, 1994, and after playing at Mendenhall High School in Mississippi, Rankin spent two years at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in Perkinston, Mississippi where he was rated as the ninth best junior college recruit by 247SPORTS and committed to play at Mississippi State over offers from Oklahoma, Florida, Louisville, Missouri, Ohio State, Ole Miss, Texas and others; and

WHEREAS, at Mississippi State University, Martinas was redshirted in 2015 and earned a starting job as a junior in 2016 before having a breakout year in 2017, winning the prestigious Kent Hull Trophy and being named to the 2017 All-SEC Football Team; and

WHEREAS, before his senior year, Martinas was projected as a first-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by several writers, and his college career included the following: Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, 2013-2014: Academic Honor Roll, JUCO All-American and nation's top JUCO offensive lineman; Mississippi State University, 2015-2017: Major: Kinesiology; 2015-2016 and 2017 SEC Academic Honor Roll, Football Achievements: 2017 First Team All-SEC (coaches), 2017 Second-Team All-SEC (Associated Press), 2017 Honorable Mention All-American (SB Nation), 2017 Campbell Trophy Semifinalist and 2017 Team Captain and attended SEC Media Day; and

WHEREAS, the Houston Texans selected Rankin in the third round (80th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft making Rankin the eighth offensive tackle drafted in 2018, and the pick used to draft Rankin was acquired in a trade that sent Duane Brown to the Seattle Seahawks; and

WHEREAS, on May 10, 2018, the Houston Texans signed Rankin to a four-year, multi-million dollar contract that included a signing bonus and the Texans drafted Rankin to play offensive tackle although many scouts and draft experts viewed him as an interior offensive lineman in the NFL; and

WHEREAS, on August 31, 2019, Rankin was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in exchange for running back Carlos Hyde, and he started five games at left guard before suffering a knee injury in week 10 after which he was placed on injured reserve on November 11, 2019, and his Chiefs went on to win Super Bowl LIV, their first championship in 50 years; and

WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we recognize a professional Mississippi athlete who has brought honor to his school, his community and to the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, That we do hereby commend and congratulate NFL Super Bowl LIV Champion Kansas City Chiefs Football Offensive Tackle Martinas Orlando Rankin who was a standout at Mendenhall High School, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Mississippi State University, and extend our best wishes to Martinas for future success.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to Martinas Orlando Rankin and his family, and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.