MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2000 Regular Session

To: Rules

By: Senator(s) Michel, Gordon, Smith, Farris, Frazier, King, Harvey, Kirby, Mettetal, Little, Hamilton, Burton, Dearing

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING THURMON L. "BOBBY" COLLINS, JR. FOR HIS OUTSTANDING COACHING CAREER AND CONGRATULATING HIM UPON HIS INDUCTION INTO THE MISSISSIPPI SPORTS HALL OF FAME.

WHEREAS, Thurmon L. "Bobby" Collins, Jr., will be inducted into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame on March 10, 2000; and

WHEREAS, Bobby Collins' induction into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame is in recognition of his coaching accomplishments and his contributions to the athletic community; and

WHEREAS, Bobby Collins was an outstanding high school quarterback at Laurel High School; and

WHEREAS, Bobby Collins played football at Mississippi State University from 1951 through 1954, lettering all four years; and

WHEREAS, Bobby Collins was starting quarterback and co-captain of the bulldogs in his senior season; and

WHEREAS, after graduation, Bobby served as backfield coach at Colorado State, Mississippi State and George Washington University; and

WHEREAS, in 1964, Bobby switched sides of the football and served as defensive coordinator at Virginia Tech until 1967; and

WHEREAS, in 1967, Bobby returned to guiding the offense when he went to North Carolina; and

WHEREAS, the North Carolina offense led the ACC in total offense and scoring in three of the five years that Collins coached at Chapel Hill; and

WHEREAS, in 1971, he was named assistant head coach and defensive coordinator of the North Carolina Tar Heels; and

WHEREAS, in 1975, the University of Southern Mississippi picked Bobby Collins as head coach; and

WHEREAS, from 1975 through 1981, Bobby led the University of Southern Mississippi football team to national prominence; and

WHEREAS, the hallmark of the Golden Eagle football team under Bobby's leadership was a tenacious, hard-hitting team that came to play 60 minutes of football every week; and

WHEREAS, Bobby led the Golden Eagles to their first two bowl appearances as a Division 1A program; and

WHEREAS, in 1980, his team finished with 9 wins and only 3 losses with a win in the Independence Bowl; and

WHEREAS, in 1981, he led the Golden Eagles to a 9-2-1 mark, an appearance in the Tangerine Bowl and a ranking of 18th nationally; and

WHEREAS, under the enthusiastic, tireless, and charismatic leadership of Bobby Collins a unique relationship developed between Coach Collins and the Hattiesburg community, the fans, the alumni, and the team which is best described as Eagle Fever; and

WHEREAS, in recognition of Bobby's ability to accomplish so much with a football program with far fewer resources than those of opposing teams, SMU convinced Bobby Collins to head their football program in 1982; and

WHEREAS, Bobby led the SMU Mustangs to national rankings and bowl wins; and

WHEREAS, his team in 1982 was the only unbeaten team in the nation and finished with a No. 2 national ranking and a Cotton Bowl victory over Pittsburgh; and

WHEREAS, in 1983 and 1984, Bobby's Mustangs finished with ten wins and only two losses; and

WHEREAS, Bobby Collins was honored as the Southwest Conference Coach of the Year in 1982; and

WHEREAS, his 1983, SMU team has the unique distinction of playing in three bowl games in one year by playing in the Cotton Bowl in January, the Mirage Bowl in Tokyo, Japan, on November 26, and the Sun Bowl on December 24; and

WHEREAS, in 1986, Bobby retired from coaching and returned home to Hattiesburg, Mississippi; and

WHEREAS, in 1992, USM President Aubrey Lucas called upon Bobby Collins to assist in building the USM Eagle Club; and

WHEREAS, under Bobby's leadership, the USM Eagle Club set new fundraising and membership records; and

WHEREAS, Bobby Collins has earned the respect and admiration of his peers, his players and all who have been fortunate to know Bobby; and

WHEREAS, it is the policy of the Legislature to recognize the accomplishments and contributions of its outstanding citizens:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend Thurmon L. "Bobby" Collins, Jr., for his outstanding accomplishments in his coaching career and his contributions to his state and community and congratulate him upon his induction into the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this resolution be presented to Bobby Collins.