The Winnipeg Blue Bombers have unveiled a statue of the most successful head coach in Winnipeg Blue Bombers history, at Investors Group Field. A bronze statue of Bud Grant now stands beside the entrance to the Bomber Store, at Gate 1, the southwest corner of the stadium.
“When I see this, I don’t see me. I see everyone who participated in what we did. I see the players and the coaches and everyone else, but I don’t see me. This is for them,” said Grant, who traveled to Winnipeg from his home in Minnesota to attend the unveiling.
The Bud Grant statue stands 7’6” tall while the granite base is 36” (3 feet) tall. The statue itself weighs 437 lbs., while the base weighs 4200 lbs.
Grant coached the Bombers for a decade, from 1957 until 1966, winning four Grey Cups in that time and one CFL Coach of the Year award, before heading south to coach the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings.
He is the third winningest coach in all of professional football with 290 wins in the NFL and CFL combined; he is a CFL Hall of Famer and a Pro Football Hall of Famer.
“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.
“We believe this statue will be an everlasting symbol of the winning tradition of the Bombers, and we believe it will become a favourite meeting place for our Blue Bomber fans when they come to the stadium.”
Grant first played “Offensive End” for the Blue Bombers from 1953-1956 before being hired by the team at the young age of 29 to be Head Coach. Prior to signing with the Bombers, he played one year for the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL. At 86 years old, Grant still maintains in office with the Vikings in Minnesota.
The cost of the statue was covered by private sponsors from our community, with each sponsor’s name appearing on the base of the statue.
The statue was crafted by Canadian statue manufacturer MST Bronze Limited. Among many prominent creations, MST casted the Louis Riel statue on the lawn of the Manitoba Legislature, and the well-known “Our Game” installation prominently displayed out front of the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. Most recently, MST created a life-sized bronze sculpture of former NDP leader Jack Layton on the second anniversary of his passing, which stands at Toronto’s waterfront.
