Senate Concurrent Resolution 540

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING THE MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST COMMUNITY COLLEGE (MGCCC) "BULLDOG" FOOTBALL TEAM AND COACH STEVEN CAMPBELL FOR WINNING THE 2007 NATIONAL CO-CHAMPIONSHIP AND FOR THEIR RECORD SETTING PERFECT SEASON.

WHEREAS, officially, the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC) Bulldog Football Team and Butler County Community College (KS) are 2007 NJCAA Co-National Champions; and

WHEREAS, Gulf Coast also ended the 2007 season with a 12-0 record after they pounded then 15th-ranked Kilgore College (Texas) 62-28 in the C.H.A.M.P.S. Heart of Texas Bowl on December 1 in Copperas Cove, Texas. The Bulldogs also won their first Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges title since 1986 when they defeated Jones County Junior College (Mississippi) 20-17 on November 10, 2007, at the college's Perkinston Campus; and

WHEREAS, the national title is the fourth in the history of Gulf Coast football. The Bulldogs also won national titles in 1948, 1971 and 1984. According to the NJCAA, the last time the NJCAA football title was split was in 1960 when Tyler Junior College (Texas) and Cameron State College (Oklahoma) were named Co-National Champions; and

WHEREAS, "We're overjoyed." said Head Coach Steven Campbell. "This group of kids deserves some type of national title, so I'm glad the NJCAA decided to make us co-champs with Butler. Both teams earned the right to be at the top"; and

WHEREAS, in 2007, Gulf Coast played and defeated ranked teams six times, including a September 13th win over Pearl River Community College, two wins over Northwest on October 11th and November 3rd, and two wins over Jones on October 20th and November 10th. Both wins over Jones occurred when the Bobcats were a Top 10 team. In comparison, Butler played and defeated ranked teams five times in 2007, including its bowl victory over Snow on December 1st; and

WHEREAS, for Coach Steve Campbell, the good news wraps up his first-ever perfect season as a Head Coach, and the national title is the second in his career. In 2000, he led Delta State to the NJCAA Division II National Championship. Assistant Coaches are: Steve Davis, Stevon Moore and Chad Huff; and

WHEREAS, the 2007 Bulldogs also set several college records. Gulf coast outscored its opponents 440-167, with the 440 total being the most in college history. The 2007 sophomore class went 19-2, which is the best winning percentage for a class since 1986. That class also never lost a home game, going a perfect 11-0 at A.L. May Memorial Stadium, and it finished ranked in the NJCAA Top-10 twice; and

WHEREAS, the NJCAA also announced its 2007 All-American squad, with three Gulf Coast players, Terrance Cody, Sean Brauchie and Tremaine Brock earning First-Team honors. Six-foot-five, 385-pound Defensive Lineman Terrance Cody, was also a JC Grid-Wire.com First-Team All-American, and the MACJC South Division Most Valuable Player. Cody anchored the "Bulldog" defense that ranked number one in the state in rushing defense and total defense. Brauchie, a freshman kicker from Biloxi, is a JC Grid-Wire.com First Team All-American, and he was selected MACJC Special Teams Player of the Week twice in 2007, along with earning MACJC All-State honors. He also booted three field goals of over 50 yards, including a college record-tying 52-yarder against Northwest Community College on October 11th, and went 19 of 25 from the field and scored 89 points. Brock, a Defensive Back from Long Beach, Mississippi, intercepted seven passes in 2007, and was named MACJC Defensive Player of The Week en route to earning JC Grid-Wire.com third-team All-American honors; and

WHEREAS, the MGCCC Football Squad had 54 players: 7 coaches (3 part time); 2 athletic trainers; 4 student trainers; and 6 managers/filmers, for a total of 73; and

WHEREAS, the 2007 MGCCC football roster is as follows: Tremaine Brock, FS; Andre Watson, CB; Akeem Simmons, WR; Deon Hodges, WR; Aquantis Mobley, CB; Ricardo Bolton, WR; Genario McNealy, QB; Jarvis Kinchen, WR; Jared Foster, QB; Jack Hayes, DL; Tyler Brush, QB; Jamel Gandy, WR; Jimmy Rowster, CB; Tarkan Weston, WR; Ira Smith, SS; Jamal Young, RB; Brandon Johnson, RB; Eltoro Freeman, LB; Demond Washington, RB; Wesley Ladner, P; Jonathon Knight, WR; Albert Williams, RB; James Harris, SS; A.J. Young, SS; Jeremy Evans, LB; Zac Elkins, FS; David Barnes, LB; Len Armstrong, SS; Justin Johnson, SN; Horatio Crawford, LB; Santino Davis, LB; Sean Brauchie, K; Trey Hopson, RB; Andrae Crumbley, SS; Chris White, LB; Neil Broussard, G; Keating Helms, C; Cedric McKinley, DL; Tag Cole, G; Cory Pittman, T; Michael Stallworth, C; Roosevelt Branch, DE; Jerrell Doom, T; Ben Schoenberger, T; Willie Pritchett, T; Devin Eubanks, C/G; Alex Goff, G; Rodney Keyes, T; Michael Mosley, TE; Kevin Helms, TE; Malcolm Tatum, DL; Mario Foster, DL; Terrance Cody, DL; and Cruz Johnson, DL; and

WHEREAS, this team had outstanding leadership from great sophomore players and a group of talented freshmen who helped to form a very unselfish championship team, and it is with great pride that we recognize the special achievement of this group of student athletes, who brought honor to their college, the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community and to the State of Mississippi:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend and congratulate the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC) "Bulldog" Football Team and Coach Steven Campbell for winning the 2007 NJCAA National Co-Championship and for their record-setting perfect season, and extend to them our best wishes in their future athletic and academic endeavors.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Willis Lott, President of MGCCC, and Coach Steven Campbell for the Team, be forwarded to the Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Board of Trustees and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.