UPDATE: The statue has been placed in its permenant home. Check out the photos >
Illinois’ most revered football player, Red Grange will be honored this week in a number of ways. After being labeled as the Greatest College Football Player of All Time last year, there is a lot to be said about Red Grange.
The Illini have chosen to honor the player with an eternal monument, a statue on the west side of Memorial Stadium. The Red Grange statue is expected to be installed today in its permanent home looking over the west lawn. The statue is made of bronze with an estimated cost of $350,000 paid by an anonymous donor. It will sit high upon a 14- to 18-foot base made from the same brick and limestone used at Memorial Stadium. It was built by UI Fine Arts alum George Lundeen and has a height of 12 foot, twice that of Grange’s.
In the statue, Grange will be standing on one leg, ball in hand, “hellbent for the goal line,” Lundeen said. “That’s not the title. We’re just going to call it ‘Harold “Red” Grange.’ ”
At first, Illinois officials discussed a lifesize statue. Lundeen wanted something bigger.
“Even 12 feet isn’t going to look real big outside,” Lundeen said. “It’s amazing how small something looks when you get it scaled up against something like the stadium.”
The new feature is part of the Memorial Stadium Renaissance project. Saturday’s game is the dedication of the statue. Read more about the statue and its designer here.
Some other ways to honor the Galloping Ghost include the Grange Rock, which was unveiled by the University last year as a timeless symbol of Illinois’ storied history. Additionally, WILL TV will air never before seen footage of a 1982 interview with Red Grange at 7pm tonight as part of a special “Illini Night” production.
Don’t miss it!
Photo Credit: The News-Gazette, Inc.
Tags: Alumni, art, dedication, fine arts, Football, george lundeen, history, Memorial Stadium, red grange, sculpture, statue
