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| 1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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| 2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
| 3 | Representatives are pleased to recognize Thomas C. "Tom" Padjen | ||||||
| 4 | on the culmination of a successful 40-year tenure as head | ||||||
| 5 | football coach at Thornton Fractional (T.F.) South High School | ||||||
| 6 | in 2016; and
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| 7 | WHEREAS, Coach Tom Padjen graduated from T.F. South Class | ||||||
| 8 | in 1968; he returned in 1973 as a physical education teacher, | ||||||
| 9 | special education teacher, division leader, and coach; he | ||||||
| 10 | became head coach in 1977; and
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| 11 | WHEREAS, Coach Tom Padjen's teams made the Illinois High | ||||||
| 12 | School Association playoffs 21 times, including 19 of his last | ||||||
| 13 | 24 seasons; he advanced to the state semifinals twice, in 1994 | ||||||
| 14 | and 2004; and
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| 15 | WHEREAS, Coach Tom Padjen has mentored numerous successful | ||||||
| 16 | college athletes and four NFL players, including Dave Smith, a | ||||||
| 17 | member of the Cincinnati Bengals Super Bowl 23 team and Pierre | ||||||
| 18 | Thomas, a member of the New Orleans Saints Super Bowl 44 | ||||||
| 19 | Champions; and | ||||||
| 20 | WHEREAS, Coach Tom Padjen was inducted into the Illinois | ||||||
| 21 | High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 2014; and | ||||||
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| 1 | WHEREAS, The Thornton Fractional Township High School | ||||||
| 2 | District 215 Board of Education renamed the South Campus | ||||||
| 3 | football field, "Padjen Field", effective October 13, 2017; and | ||||||
| 4 | WHEREAS, Coach Tom Padjen's brother, Robert "Bob" Padjen, | ||||||
| 5 | came to T.F. South in the fall of 1993 and served as the | ||||||
| 6 | defensive coordinator under Tom for 25 seasons; Robert's | ||||||
| 7 | arrival at T.F. South marked the Rebels ascension into a | ||||||
| 8 | perennial south suburban football power; he was inducted into | ||||||
| 9 | the Illinois High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 2014; | ||||||
| 10 | and | ||||||
| 11 | WHEREAS, In January of 2017, Coach Bob Padjen took over as | ||||||
| 12 | only the fifth head coach in T.F. South history; and
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| 13 | WHEREAS, Jim Padjen, Class of 1962; Tom Padjen, Class of | ||||||
| 14 | 1968; John Padjen, Class of 1972; Bill Padjen, Class of 1976; | ||||||
| 15 | Bob Padjen, Class of 1977; Mark Padjen, Class of 1998; Peyton | ||||||
| 16 | Padjen, Class of 2012; and Reis Padjen, Class of 2016 have all | ||||||
| 17 | graced the gridiron for the Rebels; and
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| 18 | WHEREAS, In all, during the 59 seasons in which T.F. South | ||||||
| 19 | has participated in competitive football, there has been a | ||||||
| 20 | member of the Padjen family either playing or coaching in every | ||||||
| 21 | one of those 59 years; therefore, be it
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| 1 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
| 2 | HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we | ||||||
| 3 | recognize Coach Tom Padjen on his successful 40-year tenure | ||||||
| 4 | with Thornton Fractional South High School and the history of | ||||||
| 5 | the Padjen family with the school's football program; and be it | ||||||
| 6 | further | ||||||
| 7 | RESOLVED, That we wish Coach Bob Padjen the best of luck as | ||||||
| 8 | he leads the Rebels into the future; and be it further
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| 9 | RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be | ||||||
| 10 | presented to Coach Tom Padjen, Coach Bob Padjen, and Thornton | ||||||
| 11 | Fractional South High School.
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