Abner Haynes Sculpture

Side Show Joe · July 5, 2016

This is the clay model of the Haynes bust. Like I said in the Greene thread, it is about 80% finished. I still have to sculpt the jersey and pads, and clean up the rough areas in the face and hair. I really hope the next AD wants to finish this project. I know Abner isn't in the best of health. I think he would enjoy returning to Denton to be honored.

For comparison, here is Abner's Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame bust.

Happy 4th of July everyone.

Edited July 6, 2016 by Side Show Joe

GMG24 · July 5, 2016

1 hour ago, Side Show Joe said:

This is the clay model of the Haynes bust. Like I said in the Greene thread, it is about 80% finished. I still have to sculpt the jersey and pads, and clean up the rough areas in the face and hair. I really hope the next AD wants to finish this project. I know Abner isn't in the best of health. I think he would enjoy returning to Denton to be honored.

For comparison, here is Abner's Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame bust.

Happy 4th of July everyone.

YES!!! let's do this

FirefightnRick · July 5, 2016

Damn SSJ. Very nice.

Rick

TreeFiddy · July 5, 2016

If the AD handles this I would assume the inscription would read EXACTLY like it is typed in the thread title.

wardly · July 5, 2016

I grew up in Ft. Worth during segregation . Even though I lived in a lower middle class neighborhood I never went to school with students of color until my freshman year of 1961 at NTSU. Segregation is a hateful institution, and black athletics suffered racist comments every time they competed. If Joe Green was the best, then in my opinion Abner Haynes was the bravest to endure what he did during the late 50's when a black football player in the Southwest was very rare.

greenjoe · July 5, 2016

If ever given the opportunity, ask Ken Bahnsen to tell the story about Bud Wilkinson's call from Oklahoma. Ken was a young coach at NT and had just finished coaching a season of freshman football at North Texas. Among his players were Abner Haynes and Leon King. When Ken was called to the phone, he was hoping (my words, not his) that the football god that Bud Wilkinson was at the time was going to offer him a position on the Oklahoma staff. Instead, Wilkinson wanted Ken to give him some tips on recruiting and coaching black players.

What Ken Bahnsen did took as much nerve and guts as what his black players had to go through. And Ken did it almost 10 years before Southern Meth broke the color barrier in the old Southwest Conference. If Joe Greene and Abner Haynes and Leon King deserve a bronze, Ken Bahnsen does as well. These men worked hard on and off the field. On the field they were judged by the score. Off the field their success was harder to measure.

Thanks to all of them.

GO MEAN GREEN

Edited July 6, 2016 by greenjoe

Side Show Joe · April 23, 2020

I know this isn't the time for the athletic department to be spending money, but the way this virus disproportionately effects our older population really got me to thinking about Abner Haynes. Wren did a great job of getting a quality sculptor to honor Joe Greene. I really hope once we get past COVID-19, Haynes will also get his due.

I've had this sculpture finished for the last 4 years, and I see it every time I go into my studio to work. If Wren wants to go another direction, that fine. I just hope UNT gets to honor Haynes, like we did Joe Greene.

hickoryhouse · April 23, 2020

That is an amazing piece of art! well done! I for one hope that Wren and the AD decide to honor such a brave man and such a tribute to this university. I wonder if there is anything we can do to assist in promoting this move?

UNTLifer · April 23, 2020

Just curious, but what would that cost to finish out in bronze?

NorthTexasSportsNetwork · April 23, 2020

Where would they put such thing?

DeepGreen · April 23, 2020

22 minutes ago, UNTLifer said:

Just curious, but what would that cost to finish out in bronze?

I was going to ask the same question. Side Show Joe, can you give us an estimate on the finished product? And where would the AD place this bronze bust of Abner? Athletic Center?

Regardless, Abner should be honored for what he did in the advancement of black athletics at UNT. And set the record straight once and for all. It was not the black player from smu that was the first in Texas.

I had an email argument with Bob West of the Port Arthur news. His reasoning was that smu was "major college football" at the time. And I called bullshit on that remark!!!!

Side Show Joe · April 23, 2020

1 hour ago, DeepGreen said:

I was going to ask the same question. Side Show Joe, can you give us an estimate on the finished product? And where would the AD place this bronze bust of Abner? Athletic Center?

Regardless, Abner should be honored for what he did in the advancement of black athletics at UNT. And set the record straight once and for all. It was not the black player from smu that was the first in Texas.

I had an email argument with Bob West of the Port Arthur news. His reasoning was that smu was "major college football" at the time. And I called bullshit on that remark!!!!

I was PMing Lifer, when I saw you both had the same question.

I've been fortunate over the past few years, and now earn between $10 to $12K for a bronze bust like this. Of course I love UNT and would complete it for much less. Provided COVID-19 doesn't interfere with the operations at the foundry, I could have the bronze bust with a nice green marble base done within 5 months, at a cost of $5,000.

As for where a Haynes bust could be placed... I'd place it in the recruiting lounge at the IPF. Wren has the matching Joe Greene bust I finished did back in 2013 (a photo of the Greene bust is in another thread). I think the two would look nice in that space.

I could also make a heroic size action pose similar to the Joe Greene, but it would be more expensive. Not as expensive as Brian Hanlon, but it would still cost a good chunk of change. I think such a statue would look great at the student entrance. Here are the best poses for such a statue. It's a long off season, so pick your favorite pose. 1,2, or 3?

Edited April 23, 2020 by Side Show Joe

DeepGreen · April 23, 2020

The first one of “high stepping Haynes” is my favorite.

MCMLXXX · April 24, 2020

I would like to see that uniform in color. It doesn’t resemble any uniform I have seen used at UNT.

The bust is amazing and honors Abner very well.

Edited April 24, 2020 by MCMLXXX

greenjoe · April 24, 2020

I like “High step” too.

We're working against a clock with unknown time left. I would hope this project could be completed while Abner is alive to see it.

Edited April 24, 2020 by greenjoe

Side Show Joe · April 24, 2020

54 minutes ago, MCMLXXX said:

I would like to see that uniform in color. It doesn’t resemble any uniform I have seen used at UNT.

The bust is amazing and honors Abner very well.

UNTLifer · April 24, 2020

#1. How about a GoFundMe page for the bust or a combination of the two. Curious as to the cost of the full statue?

FirefightnRick · April 24, 2020

That is badass @Side Show Joe

Rick

GrandGreen · April 24, 2020

Greene is the face of NT athletics with no question, but Haynes and KIng should have been the first honored.

I do hope that if a statue of Haynes is erected that there is at least a mention of King made. They broke the color barrier together.

Venson · April 24, 2020

Great ideas in this thread. As far as the pose for the action size, I like number 1.

Coach Andy Mac · April 24, 2020

This guy Joe is very talented indeed.

SigmaGreen · April 24, 2020

On 4/23/2020 at 12:13 PM, Side Show Joe said:

I know this isn't the time for the athletic department to be spending money, but the way this virus disproportionately effects our older population really got me to thinking about Abner Haynes. Wren did a great job of getting a quality sculptor to honor Joe Greene. I really hope once we get past COVID-19, Haynes will also get his due.

I've had this sculpture finished for the last 4 years, and I see it every time I go into my studio to work. If Wren wants to go another direction, that fine. I just hope UNT gets to honor Haynes, like we did Joe Greene.

MeanGreenTeeth · April 24, 2020

Should have made it out of Starburst.

FirefightnRick · April 26, 2020

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Got him to autograph my helmet at the 100 Years of football in North Texas event at the stock show in 2009. Would love to see him honored with a statue.

Rick

97and03 · July 14, 2020

This para in an ESPN article on UT got me thinking about this thread. I wonder if Black students on our campus know the Abner Haynes story. It seems like the AD could put out a little info to show that NT was the first in Texas. At the risk of sounding opportunistic, this might be the right time for a hard push to get Haynes properly honored on campus. Obviously we don’t have UT money to just snap fingers and pay for a statue, but if the AD was willing to put some weight behind the effort we could raise the money. At the least we could get this bust completed and mounted. Would look great at the stadium, in the Athletic Center or even in the Union.

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Jamail said the only time frame he had in mind was "pretty quick." One month and one day after the student-athletes made their requests, the university announced Monday several initiatives to address its racist history, including renaming a campus building, erecting statues of the first Black student and the first Black football letterman, and committing millions in athletic revenue to programs for minority students.