The city of Fort Worth commissioned a steel mill and recycling firm called Gerdau Ameristeel to create a piece of art dedicated to Texas high school football, according to the Star-Telegram.
Although its placement has not been decided, the sculpture will stand 16 feet tall, weigh between 6 tons and 7 tons, and depict a football bursting through the state outline, which will be supported by an oil well right about where Pumpville, Texas, is on a map, and somehow seems fitting. But, what, no cowboy hats or longhorns?
It’s been dubbed “Cradle of Champions” because its significance to high school ball, which led to Mayor Mike Moncrief’s groaner, “We look forward to rockin' the cradle during the Super Bowl."
Oh, yeah, it’s in conjunction with Super Bowl XLV, which will be played somewhere around here.
This is cool: It’s to be made, at least in part, from steel recycled from Texas Stadium. Texas high schools that have had players move up through the ranks to the NFL are asked to send in the names of those players, and the company will etch them into the back of the piece.
Seriously, between now and Feb. 6, you better ready for some football because it ain’t gonna stop.
Bruce Felps owns and operates East Dallas Times, an online community news outlet serving the White Rock Lake area. Yes sir, he was quite the high school football player back in his day.
