MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2019 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Harkins, Caughman, Clarke, Kirby, Hopson, Tollison, Jackson (32nd)
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND AWARDS OF BRANDON HIGH SCHOOL QUARTERBACK GARDNER MINSHEW II AND EXTENDING THE BEST WISHES OF THE LEGISLATURE AS HE BEGINS HIS NFL CAREER.
WHEREAS, Gardner Minshew II has carved his own meandering path from walk-on to NFL prospect; and
WHEREAS, Minshew attended Brandon High School in Brandon, Mississippi, where he played quarterback for the Brandon Bulldogs from 2011-2014. He played sparingly during his freshman year, but became the starting quarterback in his sophomore year, a position he kept through his senior year. During his sophomore year in 2012, he led the Bulldogs to the 6A Mississippi Championship game, where the Bulldogs lost 23-31. Minshew led the Bulldogs to a South 6A Championship his senior year in 2014; and
WHEREAS, Gardner was rated as a three-star prospect and the 70th-best pro-style quarterback in his class coming out of high school by the 247Sports.com Composite, which aggregates the ratings of the major recruiting services; and
WHEREAS, Minshew committed to play football at Troy University in December 2014. He graduated from high school early and attended school at Troy on an academic scholarship for a semester before deciding to transfer to Northwest Mississippi Community College. Minshew began his college football career in 2015 at Northwest Mississippi Community College. He led the team to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Football Championship, passing for 3,228 yards with a 60.8% completion percentage. Minshew transferred to East Carolina University in 2016 where he played in seven games while starting two at QB for the Pirates. In 2017, he split time with Duke University transfer Thomas Sirk as East Carolina's quarterback. Minshew began to show his talents late in the season by passing for over 350 yards in three consecutive games (463 yards and three touchdowns against Houston, 444 yards and four touchdowns against Cincinnati and 351 yards against Memphis). Minshew finished the year with 2,140 yards passing and 16 touchdowns for the Pirates. Minshew received his Bachelor's Degree from East Carolina University in December 2017; and
WHEREAS, Minshew enrolled as a graduate student at Washington State in the fall of 2018. He became immediately eligible under the NCAA's graduate transfer rules. Minshew helped lead Washington State to a school record-breaking 11 wins in 2018. In his third game as the school's starting quarterback, he passed for a career high and school record of 470 yards and a 78.9% completion rate in a 59-24 victory over Eastern Washington. On November 17, he again broke school records with 473 passing yards and seven passing touchdowns against Arizona. At the end of the 2018 regular season, Minshew led FBS in pass completions (433), pass attempts (613), passing yards per game (367.6), was second in passing yards (4,477) and finished in the Top Five with 38 touchdowns. During Washington State's Alamo Bowl win over Iowa State, Minshew claimed the Pac-12 single-season record for most passing yards, a record previously held by Jared Goff; and
WHEREAS, Gardner Minshew was awarded the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award as the nation's top-senior quarterback. He was named the Pac-12 "Offensive Player of the Year" for 2018, joining Rueben Mayes (1984 and 1985), Steve Broussard (1989), Drew Bledsoe (1992), Ryan Leaf (1997), and Jason Gesser (2002) as the only Washington State offensive players to win the award since it began in 1975. Minshew finished fifth in voting for the Heisman Trophy, becoming the ninth player in Washington State history to place in the Top 10 for the award, and the highest WSU finisher since Ryan Leaf, who was third in Heisman voting in 1997; and
WHEREAS, in 2018, Gardner achieved the following:
· Led the country in passing (367.6/game;
· Second in the country in passing yards (4,779) and total offense (376.8/game;
· Fourth in the country in touchdown passes (38);
· Pac-12 Conference and Washington State single-season records in passing yards (4,779) and completions (468);
· WSU single-season record for total offense (4,898), tied WSU single-season record for passing touchdowns (38);
· Only player in the country with six 400-yard games and 11 300-yard games;
· Finalist for Walter Camp Player of the Year, Davey O'Brien Award (nation's top quarterback) and Lombardi Award;
· Semifinalist for Maxwell Award (College Player of the Year);
· Three 4th-quarter game-winning drives (Utah, at Stanford, California);
· Manning Award National Quarterback of the Week and The Rose Bowl Pac-12 Player of the Week after throwing for 430 yards and five touchdowns at Oregon State;
· Maxwell National Player of the Week and The Rose Bowl Pac-12 Player of the Week after throwing for 323 yards and four touchdowns against Oregon;
· WSU single-game record and tied Pac-12 regulation record with seven touchdown passes against Arizona;
· Alamo Bowl Offensive MVP after throwing for 299 yards with two touchdown passes and one rushing touchdown in the win over Iowa State; and
WHEREAS, Gardner Minshew was a regarded-enough grad transfer that Alabama had just about locked him up before Mike Leach gave him a phone call about the spot at Washington State. Minshew is also fantastic at getting the ball out quickly in Leach's classic, fast-hitting schemes. Finally, he is good at extending plays with his legs, when the finely-tuned machine doesn't create a clean look. Minshew has proved highly accurate in throwing to different parts of the field and quickly scanning through progressions; and
WHEREAS, now Gardner Minshew is auditioning for NFL teams and figures they will all ask about his circuitous journey. "It was different, that's for sure," Minshew said. "Definitely not how most people do it. You just learn so much as you go through all these different experiences"; and
WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we note the record and accomplishments of a Mississippi athlete whose college career has brought honor to his home school, his home 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 recognize the college football accomplishments and awards of Brandon High School Quarterback Gardner Minshew II and extending the best wishes of the Legislature as he begins his NFL career.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this resolution be presented to Gardner Minshew II and his family, and made available to the Capitol Press Corps.