A great many people practically deified Tim Tebow for the tremendous things he accomplished both on and off the field during his time in Gainesville. Now those same people will have the opportunity to worship a bronzed idol made in the quarterback’s image instead.
Florida announced Thursday afternoon that statues honoring the schools three Heisman winners -- Tebow (2007), South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier (1966) and Danny Wuerffel (1996) -- will be unveiled during halftime of the Gators’ spring game April 9.
It’s unclear whether any of three honorees will be in attendance.
“We are very proud to recognize the accomplishments of our Heisman Trophy winners,” said senior associate athletics director Chip Howard.
“The statues will give our fans an opportunity to see and capture a real-life visual image of each of the storied athletes. ... The sculptor, Sandy Proctor, was meticulous in every phase of the process and did a tremendous job bringing the likeness and personality to each of the statues.”
The statues, which weigh a combined 17,000, were funded through private donations and will be located on the west side of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.