AUBURN -- Ken Bjorge had just completed his oversized statutes of Bo Jackson and Pat Sullivan and was in the back of a United Van Lines truck making sure they were tied down just right when his cell phone rang. Auburn was calling about its football heroes it had ordered in March2010, and there was a problem."I answered and started in on the delivery schedule," Bjorge said, "but they said the reason for the call was something else. They were ordering more."Two bronze Heisman Trophy statues on campus weren't enough for Auburn, as it turned out, so the Tigers ordered one of Cam Newton, who made the school a three-time winner of college football's most prestigious award when he won the Heisman last December.The unveiling of Jackson and Sullivan's statutes, which may have happened as early as this weekend's A-Day Game, will now occur sometime during the 2010-11 academic year, at Jordan-Hare Stadium, Auburn officials said Thursday. Ken Bjorge with his friend, Earl Campbell of Texas (Austin American-Statesman)Bjorge, a sculptor in Montana, says Newton will likely arrive in Auburn in late October to join Jackson and Sullivan. Newton will tower over all of them. The statues are 1 ½ times the size of the real-life former Tigers, and that means Newton will tip the scales at 9-foot-9, 1,900 pounds."He hits the ground at 6-6 in real life, so 1 ½ times lifestyle makes him much bigger," Bjorge said.The statues, all of which will weigh about 1,900 pounds, will be located at the stadium's east plaza. The foundations for the statues of Jackson and Sullivan are already in place."Auburn University has a rich Heisman heritage and we felt like it was time to recognize the lasting contributions of our Heisman Trophy winners that span four decades," said Athletics Director Jay Jacobs ina statement Thursday.Bjorge has created many sculptures, from art-gallery small ones to giant elk that stand in the cold. But what caught Auburn's attention was Bjorge's statue of former Texas football great Earl Campbell, that stands on the Texas campus. Jeff Steele, Auburn's associate AD for facilities and operations, spotted Campbell one day, and called Bjorge."He said, `I really liked that sculpture. Would you consider doing a sculpture for us of Pat Sullivan and Bo Jackson?'" Bjorge recalled. "I said `I will have to see what my schedule looks like.'"The scheduled was booked, but a little rearranging got Jackson and Sullivan on their way. It was no easy job. They rose from a 12-inch model to something over nine feet."They understood the timeline. You just don't pull them off the shelf," Bjorge said.But just as he was finishing Jackson and Sullivan, the phone rang about a year after the original order. Auburn needed Newton. He's also doing a bust of John Heisman, who coached at Auburn in the late 1800s. Auburn is the only school where Heisman coached that has also produced a Heisman winner. Bjorge said his work has Jackson running and Sullivan passing. He wouldn't tip his hand on what Newton will be doing. Bjorge's past work includes a statue of former University of Washington coach Jim Owens."I've done two coaches and four football players. If I could add seven more I could get a team," he said. Sullivan was Auburn's first Heisman winner, throwing for 2,012 and 20 touchdowns during the 1971 season. Jackson won the 1985 Heisman Trophy after rushing for a then-school record 1,786 yards, 17 touchdowns. ewton passed for 2,854 yards and rushed for 1,473 last season.Related topics: Bo Jackson, Cam Newton, Pat Sullivan
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