The South Carolina Board of Trustees Building & Grounds Committee approved the George Rogers statue at the Springs-Brooks Plaza at Williams-Brice Stadium. The statue will stand outside the northwest corner of the stadium where the scrolling sign currently sits. The approval will go before the full board next month.
The statue, which will cost approximately $300,000, will stand about 9-and-a-half feet tall and will sit on a 4-foot granite base. The statue is being designed and built by W. Stanely Proctor, who has done the Heisman statues at Florida and the Bobby Bowden statue at Florida State. The bronze sculpture will be similar to the picture shown.
"It's gratifying seeing the athletics department recognize accomplishments like this, especially ones that were on a national level," BOT member Chuck Allen said. "In my humble judgement, we've never really done anything that was commensurate to George winning that award, and this will do that. It's almost custom, particularly in the Southeastern Conference, that when you have a Heisman winner, there's a statue or a sculpture."
There was $275,000 donated by Patti Shelley of Cayce.
The statue of Rogers will be the centerpiece of the Heisman Plaza and will be completed by kickoff of the 2015 season. It’s part of the overhaul around the stadium that will see the removal of parking lots and old buildings and replaced by green space and football monuments.
Rogers, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1980, rushed for 1,894 yards during his senior season, which is the most for a USC running back in a single season. He also has the second-best mark in single-season history rushing for 1,681 yards in 1979. The Duluth, Ga. native rushed for 5,204 yards during his career at South Carolina. He's also third in school history in rushing touchdowns with 14.
Rogers was selected with the first overall pick by the New Orleans Saints in the 1981 NFL Draft. He was the NFL Rookie of the Year after rushing for 1,674 yards during his first season.
Other BOT notes
-- The BOT also approved a $600,000 project to improve the drainage at the practice soccer fields located between the old Roundhouse and the sand volleyball courts. The project includes the removal of old turf, putting down a sand bed and developing a slight crown for better drainage.
There were also be protective nets put up to keep soccer balls from infringing on sand volleyball practice and new fencing will also be put up near the train tracks.
-- Work on the Springs-Brooks Plaza, which will cost approximately $14 million, will begin after the high school state championship games next month.
-- The indoor practice facility will be completed in late April or May.
The statue, which will cost approximately $300,000, will stand about 9-and-a-half feet tall and will sit on a 4-foot granite base. The statue is being designed and built by W. Stanely Proctor, who has done the Heisman statues at Florida and the Bobby Bowden statue at Florida State. The bronze sculpture will be similar to the picture shown.
"It's gratifying seeing the athletics department recognize accomplishments like this, especially ones that were on a national level," BOT member Chuck Allen said. "In my humble judgement, we've never really done anything that was commensurate to George winning that award, and this will do that. It's almost custom, particularly in the Southeastern Conference, that when you have a Heisman winner, there's a statue or a sculpture."
There was $275,000 donated by Patti Shelley of Cayce.
The statue of Rogers will be the centerpiece of the Heisman Plaza and will be completed by kickoff of the 2015 season. It’s part of the overhaul around the stadium that will see the removal of parking lots and old buildings and replaced by green space and football monuments.
Rogers, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1980, rushed for 1,894 yards during his senior season, which is the most for a USC running back in a single season. He also has the second-best mark in single-season history rushing for 1,681 yards in 1979. The Duluth, Ga. native rushed for 5,204 yards during his career at South Carolina. He's also third in school history in rushing touchdowns with 14.
Rogers was selected with the first overall pick by the New Orleans Saints in the 1981 NFL Draft. He was the NFL Rookie of the Year after rushing for 1,674 yards during his first season.
Other BOT notes
-- The BOT also approved a $600,000 project to improve the drainage at the practice soccer fields located between the old Roundhouse and the sand volleyball courts. The project includes the removal of old turf, putting down a sand bed and developing a slight crown for better drainage.
There were also be protective nets put up to keep soccer balls from infringing on sand volleyball practice and new fencing will also be put up near the train tracks.
-- Work on the Springs-Brooks Plaza, which will cost approximately $14 million, will begin after the high school state championship games next month.
-- The indoor practice facility will be completed in late April or May.