On the recordDecember 20, 2011
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Saint Xavier University Cougars on winning the NAIA National Football Championship on Saturday. It was another thrilling game and a fitting way for Saint Xavier to bring home its first national championship in any sport to the school. From the freshmen to the seniors, from the top-ranked offense to the defense and the special teams, everyone played a part in the victory and the Cougars' amazing season. This is the first time since 1913 that a college football team from Chicago has won a national championship, and the Cougars did it with a lot of homegrown talent. Chicago, Lemont, Joliet, Tinley Park, Oak Lawn, Palos Heights, Park Ridge, Rockford, Frankfort--these and many other towns are well represented on this historic team. The players, Coach Mike Feminis and his staff, Saint Xavier, the city of Chicago, and the State of Illinois should all be proud. Congratulations to the Cougars, the NAIA national football champions. ____________________
