BOULDER, Colo. (AP) — Bill McCartney’s eyes will now be on Colorado State practices after former players donated a statue of the late Colorado football coach.
An 8 1/2-foot statue located in the northeast corner of the practice field and in the shadow of Folsom Field commemorates his accomplishments on the field. He is the winningest coach in Colorado football history (93-55-5) and led the Buffaloes to their only national title in 1990.
mccartney passed away on January 10th. He was 84 years old.
The unveiling of the statue took place Friday night in a private ceremony attended by McCartney’s family, former players, coach Deion Sanders and current team. It was on display Saturday as fans arrived before the Buffaloes’ final home game against Arizona State.
“He had a vision. He could lift people to heights they couldn’t lift themselves,” said inside linebacker Barry Remington, who played at McCartney College and was inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame on Thursday. “He didn’t care if you were a walk-on, starter, four-star, one-star. He just wanted your best effort. He got the best out of everyone he coached.”
The statue took a long time to create, and was spearheaded by former players including linebacker Don DeLuzio. The base is made of granite and includes McCartney’s quote: “Big dreams create the magic that stirs the human soul to greatness.”
McCartney led Colorado to its best season in 1990, when the team finished 11-1-1 and won the national title by defeating Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl, and the Buffaloes split with Georgia Tech.
McCartney, a charismatic figure known as “Coach Mack,” coached Colorado State from 1982 to 1994 before taking early retirement in 2013 to spend more time with his late wife, Lindy. After retiring, Mr. McCartney worked full time at Promise Keepers. Promise Keepers is a ministry he started in 1990 after converting from Catholicism, and its purpose is to encourage “godly men.”
The group became a flashpoint in state politics, advocating for rejecting the designation of homosexuals as a “protected class,” a position taken by the group and sparking protests on campus. He retired as president of Promise Keepers in 2003.
McCartney was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013.
___
Get voting alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 all season long. sign up here and here (AP News Mobile App). AP College Football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
