Kevin Moen and The Play Immortalized With Statue in Front of Memorial Stadium
Cal celebrated the most iconic moment in its football history on Friday afternoon with the unveiling of a statue showing Kevin Moen as he completed The Play in the 1982 Big Game.
On the day before the Bears face Stanford in the 125th Big Game -- the 40th anniversary of the game-winning, five-lateral kickoff return that John Elway still won't address -- Cal brought together many of the key figures involved in that day.
Moen, who describes his reaction to the statue in the video at the top, was on hand. So was Stanford alum Gary Tyrrell, who was plowed over in the end zone by Moen as he completed The Play. Ever the good sport, Tyrrell smiled but shook his head when introduced as an honorary Cal Bear.
Joe Starkey, left, with Roxy Bernstein
Joe Starkey, who is retiring after completing his 48th season with the Bears this fall, was in front of Memorial Stadium to share in the revelry. Starkey's frenzied radio call of The Play has become as famous as the moment itself.
---The Play, as told by the people who lived it.---
Cal invited members of the '82 team and more than a dozen were on hand for the ceremony at the bottom of the Gate 4 staircase leading to the stadium. More than 30 players from that team are expected to be part of a sellout crowd for Saturday's game.
Oski and the Stanford Axe
The Cal band, cheerleaders and Oski all were on hand, as was the Cal rally committee, which came equipped with the Stanford Axe, currently in possession of the Bears after their 41-11 win over the Cardinal last year.
Acclaimed artist Brian Hanlon, who has done sculptures of Shaquille O'Neal, Jim Brown, Bob Cousy and Charles Barkley, created an impressive piece of work that stands 7 feet tall, weighs 1,500 pounds and includes a backdrop display depicting the Stanford band members who had prematurely wandered onto the field at Memorial Stadium.
Hanlon told fans on hand for the ceremony that because he's an East Coast resident he didn't know much about The Play when he was approached about the project. After he learned the full story, Hanlon said he jumped at the opportunity, as he explains in the video below.
The Play began with Moen taking Stanford's squib kickoff with 4 seconds left and the Bears trailing 20-19. He quickly delivered a lateral to Richard Rodgers who quickly tossed it back to Dwight Garner. Garner was being swallowed up by Stanford defenders and was going to the turf just as he released a lateral back to Rodgers.
Rodgers sent it to Mariet Ford, who raced toward the end zone before flipping a lateral over his head to Moen, who took it the rest of the way, through the Stanford band and into the end zone for a 25-20 Cal victory.
Former Cal player Ahmad Anderson, best known as the creator of the "Bear Territory" chant delivered sad news following the death early in the day of Garner. The 58-year-old, who attended Skyline High School in Oakland before enrolling at Cal, died in Florida following a battle with cancer, Anderson said.
Cover photo of Kevin Moen, third from right, with some of his 1982 Cal football teammates.
Follow Jeff Faraudo of Cal Sports Report on Twitter: @jefffaraudo
