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Fri August 31, 2007
Statue brings to life the legend of Sooner great Billy Vessels
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Billy Vessels' widow, Susie, talks Thursday with former University of Oklahoma football head coach Barry Switzer during the dedication of the Billy Vessels statue at the Cleveland Event Center in Cleveland, OK. BY CHRIS LANDSBERGER, THE OKLAHOMAN
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Larger-than-life gift
Now, his likeness stands outside the entrance to the Cleveland Event Center, a gift of the Oklahoma Centennial Commission and a product of a small bug-a-boo.
The statue originally was unveiled and dedicated two years ago at OU. As the first of the Sooners' Heisman winners, Vessels was the first to join the school's Heisman Park. But when Steve Owens' statue was added a year ago, there was a problem.
Vessels was about two-thirds the size of Owens.
Due to a miscommunication with the sculptor, the Vessels statue was smaller. Rather than remake Owens, Billy Sims and Jason White — the last two of which will be added this season — the decision was made to commission a bigger Vessels statue.
The next question was what to do with the original one.
Lee Allan Smith</