| 1 | House Resolution |
| 2 | A resolution honoring Florida State University kicker |
| 3 | Graham Gano on winning the Lou Groza Award and recognizing |
| 4 | his other athletic accomplishments. |
| 5 |
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| 6 | WHEREAS, Graham Gano was born in Arbroath, Scotland, on |
| 7 | April 9, 1987, and was raised in Pensacola, Florida, where he |
| 8 | graduated from J.M. Tate High School in 2005, and |
| 9 | WHEREAS, following his senior season of high school |
| 10 | football, Graham Gano was named an All-American First Team |
| 11 | selection by USA Today and accepted a scholarship offer to play |
| 12 | football for the Florida State University Seminoles, and |
| 13 | WHEREAS, during his sophomore and junior seasons at Florida |
| 14 | State, Graham Gano was responsible for most of the punting and |
| 15 | kickoffs for the Seminoles, and |
| 16 | WHEREAS, prior to his senior season in 2008, Graham Gano |
| 17 | tore the meniscus in his right knee and missed the first two |
| 18 | games of the season, and |
| 19 | WHEREAS, following his surgery and rehabilitation, Graham |
| 20 | Gano amazingly went on to lead the nation in the number of field |
| 21 | goals made and in field-goal percentage, made a national best |
| 22 | five field goals from 50 yards or more, and did not miss a kick |
| 23 | from inside 49 yards, and |
| 24 | WHEREAS, during the 2008 season, Graham Gano set a Florida |
| 25 | State record with 18 consecutive field goals and became the only |
| 26 | kicker in the school's history to convert over 90 percent of his |
| 27 | field goals in a season, and |
| 28 | WHEREAS, Graham Gano was named the Most Valuable Player of |
| 29 | the 2008 Champs Sports Bowl after landing four of his five punts |
| 30 | inside the 20-yard line and his first three punts in the first |
| 31 | quarter on the 3-yard line, the 1-yard line, and the 1-yard |
| 32 | line, respectively, and |
| 33 | WHEREAS, Graham Gano kicked a 24-yard field goal and was a |
| 34 | perfect three for three on point-after attempts in the East's |
| 35 | 24-19 win in the East-West Shrine Game, and |
| 36 | WHEREAS, following the 2008 season, Graham Gano was named a |
| 37 | First Team All-American by CBS Sports and Rivals.com, and |
| 38 | WHEREAS, Graham Gano was awarded the nation's top honor for |
| 39 | a college placekicker when he won the Lou Groza Award, marking |
| 40 | the third time a Florida State University Seminole has won the |
| 41 | award, NOW, THEREFORE, |
| 42 |
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| 43 | Be It Resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of |
| 44 | Florida: |
| 45 |
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| 46 | That the Florida House of Representatives commends Graham |
| 47 | Gano for his many athletic accomplishments and congratulates him |
| 48 | on his historic recognition in being awarded the 2008 Lou Groza |
| 49 | Award. |
| 50 | BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution be |
| 51 | presented to Graham Gano as a tangible token of the sentiments |
| 52 | expressed herein. |