FROM KEITH GROLLER
Chuck Bednarik will be honored in two separate ceremonies on Friday at Liberty High School with the second one culminating in the unveiling of a statue of "Concrete Charlie" at Bethlehem Area School District Stadium.
The first ceremony will take place inside Memorial Gym at 12:30 on Friday afternoon. A plaque will dedicated at that ceremony.
The second ceremony will occur at 6:30 during the pregame of the Lehigh Valley Conference game between Central Catholic and the host Liberty Hurricanes.
Liberty athletic director Fred Harris confirmed the ceremonies and said that Bednarik's statue will be unveiled on the Greenadier Blvd. side of the stadium in the corner by the home stands.
The ceremonies are being held in conjunction with the Pro Football Hall of Fame's "Hometown Hall of Famer" program, according to Harris. Allstate Insurance is the sponsoring partner.
According to the Hall of Fame's website, this is the Hall of Fame's first nationwide plaque program and will lead into the celebration of the Hall's upcoming 50th anniversary in 2013.
"Honoring the hometowns that helped create the foundation for Hall of Famers' pathway to the Hall will be truly special as these plaques will live forever in their hometown communities," said George Veras, Pro Football Hall of Fame Enterprises president and CEO. "The Hall of Fame is pleased that Allstate has recognized the significance of this program and given all of us - the players, their communities and the Pro Football Hall of Fame - a chance to celebrate the hometown stories of these legendary professional football players."
The Pro Football Hall of Fame and Allstate will honor a total of 90 Hall of Famers through 2014.
Following each presentation, the plaques will live permanently at a designated local venue in the Hall of Famer's hometown community. In addition to the plaque, each community will receive two commemorative Hometown Hall of Famer™ road signs to proudly display in their hometowns.
Bednarik attended Liberty High School in the early 1940s. After graduation, he entered the US Air Forces and served from 1942-46 and then was a two-time All-American at the University of Pennsylvania before embarking on a storied 14-year NFL career with the Eagles from 1949-62. He helped the Eagles win NFL titles in 1949 and '60. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967.
Bednarik, now 88 and living in Coopersburg, is expected to attend both ceremonies.
"Honoring the hometowns that helped create the foundation for Hall of Famers' pathway to the Hall will be truly special as these plaques will live forever in their hometown communities," said George Veras, Pro Football Hall of Fame Enterprises president and CEO. "The Hall of Fame is pleased that Allstate has recognized the significance of this program and given all of us - the players, their communities and the Pro Football Hall of Fame - a chance to celebrate the hometown stories of these legendary professional football players."
The Pro Football Hall of Fame and Allstate will honor a total of 90 Hall of Famers through 2014.
Following each presentation, the plaques will live permanently at a designated local venue in the Hall of Famer's hometown community. In addition to the plaque, each community will receive two commemorative Hometown Hall of Famer™ road signs to proudly display in their hometowns.
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