RESOLUTION RECOGNIZES EFFORTS OF PLAYERS, COACHES, STAFF AND STUDENTS

Washington, Jan 22, 2009 - “I am pleased to stand before my colleagues today to honor the University of Florida Gators championship football team with consideration of this resolution today,” stated Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Ocala). “On the evening of January the 8th 2009, the Florida Gators won their second BCS national championship title in the past three years. The Gators faced a very tough opponent – the Oklahoma Sooners – but with all-star quarterback Tim Tebow leading the way, the Gators achieved a solid 24 to 14 victory.”

The House today approved H.Res. 58, a resolution Stearns offered commending the Florida Gators. Although proud of the school’s athletic program, Stearns also called attention to the University’s excellence in education and research – “The University of Florida is one of the four largest universities in the country and is also one of the largest research universities, housing more than 150 research centers and institutes. Notably, the University of Florida contributes almost $6 billion each year to Florida’s economy and is responsible for the creation of nearly 75,000 jobs.”

“Finally, I am proud to report that UF has been ranked 5th among all universities in the nation by Kiplinger’s magazine “Top 100 Public Colleges”, with the University’s 2005 incoming freshmen class having an average of a 4.06 GPA and a 1306 SAT score. UF is also proud to have a high number of scholar athletes on its campus, boasting an 89% graduation success rate for all its athletes.”