Lou Groza Statue Unveiled

groza-lou-statue-unveiling-400The city of Berea celebrated one of the Browns greats.
 
A bronze life-size statue of Hall of Fame tackle, Lou “The Toe” Groza was unveiled on Nov. 19, 2016 at Lou Groza Field, in Berea, Ohio.
 
Groza and Brown were a part of the Cleveland Browns 1964 Championship Team. Known for his square toe shoe for kicking field goals, Groza played his entire career for the orange and brown and blocked for Brown for a duration of his tenure.
 
Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974, he was a longtime resident of Berea and the street where the Cleveland Browns headquarters resides is named in his honor, Lou Groza Blvd.

His career was highlighted with eight championships and nine Pro Bowls. Upon his retirement, Groza was the NFL’s career scoring leader and is one of 16 Cleveland Browns in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Among the attended guests at the ceremony was former Browns legends Dick Schafrath and Don Cockroft.
 
Made in part by generous donations, the 6-ft. 3-inch, $200,00 bronze memorial statue will stand majestically at the entrance of Lou Groza Field, surrounded by landscaping and lights at its completion. The statue was created by sculptor Alan Cottrill.
 
Former Browns offensive linemen Steve Zahursky, who coaches both tackle and flag teams for the Lou Groza Football, recently applied for a grant through the NFL Foundation’s Player Matching Grant Program and was granted $3,500.

The Lou Groza Football is the premier youth football program in the Berea City School District, offering tackle football, flag football and cheerleading for boys and girls from the communities of Berea, Middleburg Heights and Brook Park.
 
The funds will be used to refurbish helmets and purchase other equipment for the youth tackle football program.

The Lou Groza Football is the premier youth football program in the Berea City School District, offering tackle football, flag football and cheerleading for boys and girls from the communities of Berea, Middleburg Heights and Brook Park. The program has been in existence since 2010.