Sept. 19, 2009
NORMAL, Ill. -
In January of this year, the Illinois State Athletics Department announced the plans to erect a statue to honor Redbird greats Will Robinson and Doug Collins, thanks to the generous contribution of the Don Franke family. Now with the statue completed, Redbird Athletics will host an unveiling ceremony today at 3 p.m., outside the north entrance of Redbird Arena, as part of the pregame festivities of the Illinois State football team's home opener against Austin Peay State.
For fans who could not make it back to campus to watch the ceremony in person, it can be viewed live on GoRedbirds.com courtesy of Redbird All-Access. To view the ceremony free of charge, CLICK HERE.
The statue replicates the historic photo showcasing the two Redbird basketball legends, where Coach Robinson is on one knee leaning on a basketball and Collins is posed alongside his mentor. The work of art, which was sculpted by Lou Cella, a 1985 alumnus of Illinois State, was created at the Rotblatt-Amrany Fine Art Studio in Highwood, Ill.
