The Sporting Statues Project

UK Sport Statues
Database and Map

US Baseball Statues
Database and Map

World Cricket Statues
Database and Map

World Football Statues
Database and Map

Glossary and
Inclusion Criteria

Project Publications

Conference Papers

Media Coverage/
Press Releases

Links

Submit Information

About Us

Contact Us

Home

Lamar Hunt

(Photo by Erik Davila, FC Dallas ©)

Subject(s): Lamar Hunt
Sport: Football

Location: FC Dallas, Toyota Stadium, Frisco, TX, USA (Casts of statue also erected at Columbus Crew, and at Kansas City Chiefs NFL franchise, which Hunt also owned)
Unveiled: 5/8/2010
Sculptor: Bruce Wolfe
Material: Bronze
Status: In Situ

Inscription(s):
Inscribed on plinth, side 1: LAMAR HUNT. One of the founding fathers of American sports, Lamar Hunt pioneered the rise of soccer in the United States. Inspired by seeing the excitement and pageantry of the historic 1966 World Cup final, the visionary Hunt believed soccer would thrive in the United States, and he dedicated a significant portion of his life to promoting the sport. For his many contributions, Hunt was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1982, received the hall’s prestigious Medal of Honor in 1999, and in 2005, Hunt was recognised with the U. S. Soccer Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award. His soccer legacy continues today as the namesake of the Lamar Hunt U. S. Open Cup.

Inscribed on plinth, side 2: For all of his contributions to the success of soccer in the United States, Lamar Hunt’s most significant innovation was the creation of the soccer-specific stadium in Major League Soccer. A fan above all else, Hunt understood the unique devotion and enthusiasm of soccer fans, and he wanted to create a home for his teams' passionate supporters . Hunt built Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, in 1999, the first soccer-specific stadium in MLS. In 2005, Hunt and his family opened Pizza Hut Park, establishing the model for all future soccer-specific stadiums and forging the framework for the future of professional soccer in the United States.

Inscribed on plinth, side 3: Lamar Hunt helped found the North American Soccer League and its Dallas Tornado franchise in 1967, creating a high-quality professional soccer presence in the United States and garnering national attention for the sport. Hunt's Tornado won the 1971 NASL Championship and laid the foundation for soccer's success in North Texas. Following their playing days, many of the players from Hunt's teams elected to remain in the area coaching and developing the emerging youth soccer talent in North Texas.

Links: Sculptor


(Photo by Erik Davila, FC Dallas ©)

(Photo by Erik Davila, FC Dallas ©)

Enlarge Map