Tuscaloosa To Unveil 'Marshall Four' Statues In February

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The City of Tuscaloosa on Thursday announced it will hold an unveiling ceremony for the “Marshall Four” statues at the new Benjamin Barnes YMCA on Thursday, Feb. 6 at 9 a.m.

Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter and breaking news alerts.

The statues honor Tuscaloosa natives Freddy Wilson, Larry Sanders, Joe Hood and Robert VanHorn, who attended Marshall University to play football and were killed in a plane crash with most of the team on Nov. 14, 1970.

The four young men were some of the first Black athletes from Tuscaloosa on athletic scholarships at a major university.

ALSO READ: COLUMN | Today In Tuscaloosa, We Are All Marshall

Caleb O’Connor — a renowned artist and sculptor known in Tuscaloosa — is responsible for sculpting the statues and also credited with the Minerva statue at Manderson Landing and the Deontay Wilder statue at the Visit Tuscaloosa Welcome Center.

The city invites the public to the unveiling ceremony and light refreshments will be provided.

Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at ryan.phillips@patch.com