Chuck Bednarik statue to be unveiled Nov. 19

The long-awaited Chuck Bednarik statue is finally coming to Franklin Field. Wednesday, Penn Athletics announced that the formal dedication and unveiling of the statue will take place November 19 before the Quakers' final home game of the season at 1 p.m. against Cornell. According to a press release, "the statue will be located inside Gate 2 on the North side of Franklin Field, and will be complemented by a collage honoring the history of the Philadelphia Eagles during their time playing at Franklin Field (1958-70)."

Bednarik played for Penn from 1945-48, starting at center and linebacker for three seasons. Known as "Concrete Charlie," he earned first-team All-America honors his first two seasons, then won the Maxwell Award and finished third in the Heisman trophy race during his senior year. After graduating, Bednarik was chosen as the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. He played 14 seasons for the Eagles -- with home games at Franklin Field -- and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967.

The press release also detailed information about the statue's sculptor, official Basketball Hall of Fame sculptor Brian Hanlon, and the fundraising efforts that ultimately brought the statue to Franklin Field:

The Bednarik statue is being done by Brian Hanlon of Hanlon Sculpture Studio in Toms River, N.J. Dubbed "New Jersey's Sculptor," Hanlon has works all over the world including the recent Shaquille O'Neal statue at Louisiana State University (LSU). Hanlon Sculpture Studio is the official sculptor of the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass.
"I am absolutely honored to sculpt the greatest warrior, maybe next to Smokin' Joe Frazier, in Philadelphia sports history," said Hanlon. "I think it's great that Chuck's statue will be placed at the site of his college and NFL careers. Franklin Field is the most sacred, historic athletic venue in Philadelphia."

The process to get a Bednarik statue done has been swift. In 2010, a group of Philadelphia businessmen approached the University with the aim of installing a statue of Penn's greatest all-time player and their hero, Chuck Bednarik, at Franklin Field. Since then, nearly $100,000 has been raised toward the project, bolstered by stories from Philadelphia-area media outlets as well as outlets in the Lehigh Valley, where Bednarik continues to reside in Coopersburg. Among the prominent names involved with the project are the president of NFL films, Steve Sabol; former Eagles and St. Louis Rams head coach Dick Vermeil; former Eagles players Ron Jaworski and Eddie Khayat; Bucks County State Rep. Paul Clymer; former Governor Tom Ridge; Dominic Toscani, founder of Paris Business Forms, Inc.; and Bednarik's son-in-law, Ken Safarowic.