NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
Rep. Kam Buckner, D-Ill., issued a statement commemorating the life and legacy of legendary football coach Lou Holtz following the coach’s death Wednesday.
Buckner released a statement to Pakinomist Digital reflecting on Holtz’s efforts to recruit him to the University of South Carolina as a football scholarship, and said he is praying for the coach’s family.
“Like many Chicago kids, I grew up watching Lou Holtz on the sidelines at Notre Dame. South Bend always felt like it was right next to us and Coach Holtz was synonymous with that program and with college football in general. I was incredibly honored that our paths crossed years later when he recruited me during his time at South Carolina,” Buckner said.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
“I ultimately chose a different path, but the chance to sit with him, hear his vision and learn from a man who meant so much to the game is something I will never forget. Coach Holtz is a true legend in college football. I pray for his family and for all who loved him. His impact on the sport – and on the young men he coached – will live on for generations.”
Buckner’s tribute to Holtz is an anomaly for Democrats since the coach’s death.
Most GOP lawmakers were quick to offer condolences for the coach’s death Wednesday, but Democrats have remained mostly silent. This includes other Democrats with ties to football besides Buckner.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who worked as an assistant high school football coach, has not made a public statement about Holtz’s death.
Late. Cory Booker, DN.J., like Buckner, was also a college football recruiting target for Holtz prior to Booker’s NCAA career. But Booker has also not said anything about Holtz’s death publicly.
Rep. Colin Allred, D-Texas, who played in the NFL, also has not commented on Holtz’s death.
Pakinomist Digital has reached out to the offices of Walz, Booker and Allred for a response.
A prominent voice on the left, former broadcast journalist Keith Olbermann, has sparked controversy for calling Holtz “scum” after the coach’s death.
“Legendary bullshit, yes,” Olbermann wrote on X in response to a clip of Holtz criticizing former President Joe Biden in 2020 for supporting abortion rights.
Olbermann received sharp criticism in response to his post on X.
Holtz was a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, even saying in February 2024 that Trump needed to “train America back to greatness!”
Near the end of Trump’s first term, shortly after former President Joe Biden defeated him in the 2020 election, Trump awarded Holtz the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States. Holtz, who also spoke at the 2020 Republican National Convention, was humbled by the honor.
“It’s the highest honor or award you can possibly receive, and I receive it with mixed emotions. First of all, I’m humbled,” Holtz said.Fox & Friends” afterwards. “There are many more people far more worthy than I, I assure you.
“No one is more grateful than me. So I’m thrilled to have this opportunity, and at the same time, I’m thrilled to receive it from President Trump. I admire and respect the president. I think he did a great job.”
At the time, Holtz also called Trump “one of the great presidents of my lifetime.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pakinomist APP
United States President Donald Trump presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to former Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz at the White House in Washington, DC on December 3, 2020. (Doug Mills/The New York Times/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Holtz was the first coach in NCAA history to take six different football programs to bowl games, including William & Mary (1969-71), NC State (1972-75), Arkansas (1977-83) and South Carolina (1999-2004). The only team he was unable to accomplish the feat with was Minnesota, which he managed from 1984-85.
Holtz finished his coaching career with a record of 249-132-7 in 388 games. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
Related article
