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
Sure, it was only a bronze statue of the former football star who led the University of Oklahoma to its first national title in 1950, then won the Heisman Trophy in 1952. Yet when Barry Switzer, Eddie Crowder and Co. arrived, they brought Vessels back to his hometown. His legend came to life.
"He overcame a lot to win that Heisman Trophy,” Cleveland High alum Kari Watkins said. "This statue will stand not to represent a person who had life by the tail but rather as a symbol that through hard work, anything is possible.
"That's what Billy Vessels stood for.”
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