Legendary Central College football coach Ron Schipper touched the lives of hundreds of young men during his Hall of Fame career.
A statue unveiled on Saturday morning on the Heritage Plaza of the stadium that bears his name will serve as a reminder of what he meant to them and how he helped shaped their lives.
The statue is based on a photo from a 1993 game and depicts Schipper with his hands on the shoulder of a player coming off the field. His son, Tim Schipper, feels that it’s a perfect embodiment of his dad.
“He always wanted to be known as more than just a football coach. He wanted to be known as a teacher and a mentor. In the statue, he’s obviously mentoring a young student-athlete there and that’s exactly what he wanted to be known for.”
The statue was paid for through private donations, with fundraising efforts led by Schipper’s 1974 national championship team.
It was cast by Brian Hanlon of the Hanlon Sculpture Studio in New Jersey and installed in Pella last week in advance of Saturday’s unveiling.