In an email sent to Auburn fans Wednesday night, Auburn Athletics Director Jay Jacob’s announced production on statues honoring Auburn’s three Heisman Trophy winners.
According to Jacobs, the bronze statues of Pat Sullivan, Bo Jackson, and Cam Newton will be one and one-half times life size and weigh approximately 1,900 pounds each. Foundations for the statues, which will be unveiled at some point in the 2011-2012 academic year, are already under construction outside the east side of Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Commissioned with the task of rendering the Auburn Adoni is Montana sculptor Ken Bjorge, who began work on the Sullivan and Jackson statues last spring.
Referring to Newton’s Heisman Trophy-winning season, Jacobs wrote, “Little did we know that we would need to add a third statue so soon.” The statue of The Blessed Individual is still in production; the statues of Sullivan and Jackson are apparently already complete. (We can only hope that Bjorge eBay’d himself a copy of the January 1991 issue of Beckett Football Card Monthly for inspiration.)
Though mostly into bears and birds (he does a mean golden eagle), Bjorge has worked on gridiron greats —and Heisman winners — before. His 9 foot statue of Texas great Earl Campbell was placed near the south end zone of Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium in 2006.
In 2003, the University of Washington asked Bjorge to immortalize legendary Husky coach Jim Owens.
Auburn also ordered a bust of John Heisman, who coached the Tigers from 1895-1899; Auburn, which is in four-way tie for third in Heismans-per-school, is the only team Heisman coached to have also produced a Heisman Trophy winner.
“We look forward to sharing more information on the statues’ dedication at a later date,” Jacobs said.
Top photo via. Campbell photo via.
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Finally, Auburn can buy a Cam Newton.
Personally, I wish we would not do this. It seems too much like something another school in the state would/has done. Probably just me though!
It’s not just you, tigerx.
I see what you’re saying tigerx, but this is a little different, in my estimation. These are heisman winners, Auburn has three of them. It’s not like we’re going to be lighting candles for them and rubbing them for good luck.