Former Bombers coach Grant to be honoured with statue at Investors Group Field

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The most-decorated, most-famous head coach in Winnipeg Blue Bombers history will be honoured with a bronze statue outside of Investors Group Field this October.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 06/06/2014 (4473 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The most-decorated, most-famous head coach in Winnipeg Blue Bombers history will be honoured with a bronze statue outside of Investors Group Field this October.

The football club announced Friday they will honour Grant, a former Bomber player who coached the team from 1957-1966 and won four Grey Cups before heading south to coach the Minnesota Vikings.

Grant is the third-winningest coach in pro football with 290 combined and is a member of the Canadian Football and Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Brian Peterson / Tribune Media MCT Files
Former Minnesota Vikings coach Bud Grant and current Vikings Adrian Peterson share some time on the bench in Minneapolis in 2013.
Brian Peterson / Tribune Media MCT Files Former Minnesota Vikings coach Bud Grant and current Vikings Adrian Peterson share some time on the bench in Minneapolis in 2013.

“The statue of Bud Grant not only honours a man who made a tremendous impact on our Football Club during his time here, but it also symbolizes the many dedicated, talented men who have coached and played for this team over the years,” said Blue Bombers President and CEO Wade Miller in a statement.

The Bud Grant statue will be erected outside the Bomber Store at the southwest corner of Investors Group Field, just off Ken Ploen Way.

“I certainly am unexpectedly honoured by something like this. After so many years, it’s quite a tribute, and I look forward to being there,” said Grant.

The six-foot tall bronze statue will sit on a three-foot base with an inscription detailing Grant’s accomplishments in football.

Grant joined the Bombers as a receiver in 1953 before being hired as the head coach at the age of 29.

The statue is being crafted by Canadian statue manufacturer MST Bronze Limited, which also casted the Louis Riel statue at the the Manitoba Legislature, and the well-known “Our Game” installation prominently displayed out front of the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.

The unveiling will take place during the week of the Bombers final home game of the regular season on Oct. 25. Grant will be in attendance at the annual Blue Bombers Legacy Dinner on Oct. 22.

Winnipeg Free Press Files
Winnipeg Blue Bomber coach Bud Grant (right) on the sidelines with Bomber quarterback Ken Ploen in the 1962 Grey Cup game.
Winnipeg Free Press Files Winnipeg Blue Bomber coach Bud Grant (right) on the sidelines with Bomber quarterback Ken Ploen in the 1962 Grey Cup game.

The cost of the Grant statue is to be covered by private sponsors from within the community. Their names will appear at the base of the statue.

Ed.tait@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @WFPEdTait

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