Jodey Arrington: “I love everything about west Texas. I love the beautiful sunsets and the starry nights. I love that our farmers and…”

“I love everything about west Texas. I love the beautiful sunsets and the starry nights. I love that our farmers and ranchers feed and clothe the American people. I love that we produce more fossil and renewable energy than any other region in the United States. People from all over the country rely on west Texas to make America great, but the greatest contribution from our region is our people. The people of west Texas have a distinct friendliness, a can-do spirit, a humble demeanor, a unique sense of humor; and on April 10, 2017, we lost one of our very own who embodied these attributes like no one else. Former head football coach at Texas Tech and favorite son of west Texas, Spike Dykes carved his legacy into the bedrock of our region and into the hearts of hundreds of student athletes and thousands of fans across this country. A small town kid from Ballinger, Texas, who achieved his wildest dreams of becoming a Division I head football coach, Coach Dykes went on to lead the Red Raiders to seven straight bowl seasons and was later inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame. I had the honor of calling Spike Dykes ``Coach'' for a short time when I walked on the Texas Tech football team, and later I had the honor of calling him my friend. We are all saddened by his passing, and our prayers are with his children and my friends, Rick, BeBe, Sonny, and their families. Thank you, Coach, for your colorful wit and country wisdom.…”