Bud Grant is a coaching legend in Minnesota, but before he led the Vikings to four Super Bowls he was also a great football coach for the Canadian Football League’s Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
On Thursday, the Blue Bombers honored the coaching legend by unveiling a bronze statue in Grant’s honor.
The legendary Bud Grant as the club unveiled a new bronze statue of him this morning at Investors Group Field… pic.twitter.com/DtUb9EqtyJ
— Paul Wiecek (@PaulWiecek) October 23, 2014
“It’s a great tribute,” Grant said at Thursday’s unveiling.
Grant, 87, became the coach of the Bombers in 1957. He led them to six Grey Cups – winning four – in his 10 seasons prior to his tenure with the Vikings.
“Most statues of this variety are when people are dead and I’m not dead yet,” said Grant. “It doesn’t represent me it represents everybody that played for the Bombers not only in my time, but all time.”
According to Global News, some long-time Bombers fans waited decades to see Grant honored.
“You need to recognize your past so you know your future and that’s what we’re going to do as we move forward,” said Wade Miller, President and CEO of the Blue Bombers.
Between Minnesota and Winnipeg Grant led his teams to a combined 10 championship games, and had a combined regular-season coaching record of 260-152-7. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, in 1994.
But Grant wasn’t just a great coach, he also was a special athlete, who was drafted in two professional sports.
The Canadian Press notes that as a player, Grant was selected in both the NFL and NBA Draft and played two seasons for the Minneapolis Lakers before he moved to the NFL with the Philadelphia Eagles.
He played defensive end, wide receiver and offensive end during his professional career.
The Vikings have posted a video recap of today’s ceremony in Winnipeg, you can view that here.
