Greg McElroy explains why college football players shouldn't get statues

ESPN commentator and former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy doesn’t like statues for individual players. It’s nothing against the players themselves but he wants to make sure everyone on a successful roster gets their due.

In response to Oklahoma putting up a statue for Kyler Murray — something it does for each one of its Heisman Trophy winners — McElroy was asked by a listener to the Always College Football podcast who else he thinks should have a statue constructed of them.

“I, for one, don’t really believe in individual statues,” McElroy said. “It’s contrary to my thought process because when I think of an individual player being bronzed and put on a campus — and, by the way, Oklahoma does it for all their Heisman Trophy winners. All seven guys have statues outside of that beautiful stadium there in Norman, Oklahoma. It’s what they do. It’s okay. There’s nothing wrong with that by any stretch of the imagination — but I think it’s impossible to win the Heisman by yourself.

“So if you are going to immortalize a specific individual, I think it must come with recognition that hey, man, there were 120 so odd teammates that helped get him to that position. I’m not one for Heisman Trophy statues. It’s not my thing. Never has been. Never will be.”

However, McElroy did say that he is fine with head coaches getting individual statues.

“I, for one, am more in line with a statue of the head coach,” McElory said. “For instance, if you win a national championship, you get a statue. That’s the way it was done in Tuscaloosa. So it’s natural that’s the way I would probably lead. But the day to day operation of running a program to me is what needs to be recognized and every single player that was ever a part of a national championship team needs to be recognized as well. From player one to player 125, every single person had a role and a job to do in an effort to create that championship run so every single one of those guys needs to be recognized. So I don’t like propping up individuals. It’s not my thing.”

Greg McElory names players he thinks would deserve statues

However, Greg McElroy did answer the question with a few names of players he thinks would be theoretically worthy of a statue on campus.

The five players he named are former Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning, former Virginia Tech quarterback Michael Vick, former Texas quarterback Vince Young, former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton and former Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett IV.

“You’re probably saying, Greg, that’s not really a big window,” McElory said. “As you’ve heard me talk about in the past, my best understanding of football is from 1998 and beyond. Peyton Manning was in ’97 so he missed the window by just a little bit but finished second in the Heisman Trophy, thought he should have won it to begin with. Then the other guys were immortalized either with national championship game appearances or a national championship in it of itself. Those would be the five guys that would be at the top of my list when it comes to evaluating whether or not they should have an individual trophy on campus.”