Watch Kennedy’s comments here.

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.) delivered the following remarks on the U.S. Senate floor: 

“I just want to briefly thank Jimmy Graham. Who's Jimmy Graham? I know, Mr. President, you know who Jimmy Graham is. He was one of the best tight ends who ever played the game. 

“Now, he was a New Orleans Saint, I think, for six or seven seasons. He played elsewhere. I looked it up. He played for the Seahawks. He played for the Packers. He played for the Bears, but he was a total beast in the best sense of the word, playing for the New Orleans Saints. And he has retired. 

“After 13 years in the NFL, Jimmy has decided to retire. He was a big boy—he is a big boy—but he started out as a basketball player. He didn't play football. He played basketball. And he transformed himself. 

“The numbers that Jimmy put up are just out of this world. They're other worldly. He is clearly one of the most prolific pass-catching tight ends in the history of the game.

“As you know, Mr. President, many tight ends just block. That's their job. Jimmy not only blocked, but he caught passes. And he caught a bunch of them. He is number seven in NFL history in receptions at 719. He ranks number eight in receiving yards at 8,545. He ranks fourth in touchdowns at 89.

“When he was with the Saints . . . in six seasons, Jimmy Graham caught 392 passes for 4,791 yards and 55 touchdowns. And he was a tight end. His first job was to block. He also caught a few balls. And he gave my people in Louisiana a lot of joy at a time they really needed it.

“And I just wanted to thank Mr. Graham for the joy that he brought to anybody and everybody who watched him play football, but especially when he played for the New Orleans Saints. I want to wish him well, and I wanted to end on some good news tonight.”

Watch Kennedy’s speech here.