Reid reflects on designing Ron Polk statue
There are names and phrases that are synonymous with Mississippi State, and Ron Polk is one of them.
The former head MSU baseball coach Polk, who is now special assistant to the MSU athletic director, will soon be forever standing at the ballpark when his statue sculpted by MSU alumnus Rusty Reid is unveiled during Super Bulldog Weekend later this baseball season.
During the Starkville Rotary Club's weekly program on Monday, February 20, the sculptor Reid spoke to the club about what it means to sculpt the statue of the college baseball coaching legend.
Reid said he was very fortunate to design the Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro statues that stand at the home plate entrance of Dudy Noble Field back in 2019 when the new stadium opened.
“What a privilege and an honor to be involved with that; it was just amazing,” said Reid. “It all stemmed from my love for Mississippi State. I am a loyal supporter and I love where I went to college. So when people ask me, ‘Why did you donate these statues?' Well, it's almost like it's a part of me. This was a challenge I had, being involved with the university. I knew I was gonna give 110 percent because I didn't want to disappoint the administration, alumni, or fans.”
Before the Polk project, Reid had met the coach a couple times prior. But now that he had spent some extended time with him, Reid comments on how nice it was working with him on the project.
“What an amazing person he is. So easy to work with, I had zero pressure, and I couldn't have asked for this to be such a joyous occasion. It was hard work, but it's completed. I just got back from Texas where they're finishing it, and it's completed two months early so I can relax a bit,” Reid said.
A funny story that Reid told the Rotarians on Monday didn't take place during the sculpting process, but instead when he and then-msu athletic director John Cohen had told Polk that he was getting a statue.
“I met with John and he's been wanting to do a Coach Polk statue for a while but wanted to wait for the right time. So after everything was in order, we got Coach Polk brought in and we told him. I didn't know if he would even want a statue. So John told him and he was so excited,” said Reid. “The first thing he said was, ‘I can't believe this. Skip Bertman. Every time I
Former head MSU baseball coach Ron Polk will soon be forever standing at Dudy Noble Field when his statue sculpted by MSU alumnus Rusty Reid is unveiled during Super Bulldog Weekend later this baseball season. (Photo from Mississippi State Athletics, for Starkville Daily News) see him, he rags me because he has a statue and I don't. I've finally got him.' Then he
told me, ‘Rusty, just be sure it's taller than Skip Bertman's.'”
On Friday, April 14, MSU will reveal the Polk statue just outside the Adkerson Plaza entrance to Dudy Noble Field, prior to MSU'S game against Ole Miss.