CANTON, Ohio — During a day-long sitting for his Pro Football Hall of Fame bust, Troy Polamalu made a keen observation to sculptor Blair Buswell that sounded like a line from one of his Head & Shoulders commercials.
“You got to give me some more volume on top,” said the former Steelers’ safety, his magnificent mane pulled back in a braided ponytail. “It looks like I have helmet head.”
His fingers covered in clay, the 64-year-old Buswell glanced at a board in his Pleasant Grove, Utah, studio that was filled with photos of Polamalu standing on the Steelers’ sideline. The pictures were taken from various angles throughout the years and featured different facial expressions. Because the legendary defender rarely allowed his signature curly locks to flow except on game days and in practice, Buswell hadn’t taken “helmet head” into account as he molded and shaped Polamalu’s likeness in early 2020.
The player’s critique reminded the renowned artist of two important facets of his Hall-of-Fame work. Whenever possible, it’s good to have your subject in the room at some point during the process so as not to be reliant on old photos. Also, gridiron icons have a wider variety of hairstyles than they did when former Chargers coach Sid Gillman became the first to pose for Buswell in 1983.
“I say this jokingly, but who knew 38 years ago when I took this job that I would need to know the difference between a four-and-five (clipper size) haircut and an afro, or a Jheri curl, or cornrows, or a fade, or dreads, or long curly hair,” Buswell said laughing. “It’s been a lot of fun and a real learning experience.”
The work of Buswell and his two associates, Ben Hammond and Scott Meyers, will be spotlighted this weekend in Canton as 28 new inductees from the HOF classes of 2020 and 2021 are honored. The two-day event features a strong Pittsburgh accent with the enshrinement of five former Steelers: Polamalu, Bill Cowher, Donnie Shell, Alan Faneca and Bill Nunn. There’s little question, however, which bronzed bust is most anticipated among fans, art critics and social-media commentators.
Look, all I’m wanting to see is how they handle the Troy Polamalu Hall of Fame bust. It deserves to be glorious and let’s hope it’s better than this one I found on Amazon which I’m 97% sure is El DeBarge. pic.twitter.com/Fv5t5fgFxz
— Super 70s Sports (@Super70sSports) February 1, 2020
Since almost the day Polamalu was announced as a member of the 2020 class, there’s been talk of the intricacies involved in sculpting his bust because of his long hair, which draped across his shoulder pads and often obscured his nameplate on the back of his jersey. Due to HOF restrictions related to the acrylic shelves on which the portraits sit, not all of Polamalu’s hair can be visible.
“I was joking with Troy that we would take it down to the shelf and then I’ll have an attachment (of hair) and screw it into the bottom of the bust,” the sculptor said.
Buswell has done more than 110 HOF likenesses, and he admits Polamalu’s is among the most challenging. Hammond said the three artists normally put 40 to 80 hours of labor into each clay bust, and that doesn’t include the eight to 10 weeks for the bronzing process. Pressed for an estimation, Buswell thinks Polamalu’s sculpture was in the 80- to 100-hour range.
Complicating matters is the fact Polamalu was part of the Hall’s Centennial Class of 20 inductees —almost three times larger than the normal class. If the 2020 induction ceremony had not been cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns, Buswell said he would have been racing to get the busts of Polamalu and the dreadlocked Edgerrin James completed in time.
“I was sweating bullets,” Buswell said. “I was doing 2-1/2 years of work in five or six months.”
Artistic reputations are at stake during unveilings, particularly when the subjects are high-profile athletes. Just ask poor Emanuel Santos, whose 2018 rendering of soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo was universally mocked.
Artist behind infamous Cristiano Ronaldo bust gets a do-over https://t.co/vJG8q6hery pic.twitter.com/IkO7EaEeXc
— New York Post (@nypost) March 30, 2018
“Sometimes, you see a portrait sculpture unveiled and it becomes (an internet) meme or gets bad press,” Hammond said. “It’s terrible, but it happens more than you might think.”
____________________
BEN HAMMOND
Sculptor Ben Hammond works on the HOF bust of Donnie Shell.
As Polamalu and his wife toured the studio and sat for the portrait, the former Steelers’ All-Pro shared stories from his childhood.
Buswell was amazed at the adversity Polamalu had to overcome in Los Angeles before escaping a dangerous environment and moving to Oregon to live with his uncle.
“What a life-changing experience it was for him,” he said. “It was fascinating to hear Troy talk about it. He’s such a warm and engaging person.”
Buswell’s journey to the Hall of Fame isn’t nearly as harrowing, but it has some astonishing twists as well. How many Division I football players do you know who went to school on an art scholarship?
As a kid growing up in Utah, Buswell made all of his toys from clay by hand. He was a good athlete, but teachers recognized his true calling and encouraged him to maximize his gift. In eighth grade, he spent an entire school year sculpting his first bust only to have it explode during the baking process.
“It devastated me and I swore I’d never do another life-size head again,” he recalled.
Fate and the Hall of Fame intervened. The next year, his family took a cross-country trip and they stopped at the Canton football shrine. Buswell walked awestruck through the Hall of Fame Gallery.
“I remember looking at the busts and thinking, ‘someone sculpted those — wouldn’t that be a great gig someday,’” he said.
TOM REED / DKPS
The Hall of Fame features an exhibit detailing the step-by-step process of creating bronzed busts.
Following a Mormon mission, Buswell transferred to BYU because it boasted one of the few figurative sculpture professors in the region. He also joined the football team as a walk-on running back, a decision that alarmed fellow artists due to the risk of injury. His sculpting at BYU was so acclaimed that the team doctor had protective padding made to cover his hands.
(Maybe this is where Seinfeld’s George Costanza got the idea for wearing gloves during his brief career as a hand model.)
Buswell played in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and his quarterbacks included Marc Wilson, Jim McMahon and Steve Young. He was used sparingly and primarily as a blocker. His one collegiate carry totaled two yards, but the connections he made through the BYU football team proved invaluable.
At an athletic banquet, Buswell was recognized for his sculptures of classmates Young and basketball star Danny Ainge. The speaker that night was coach Bill Walsh, who had just led the Niners to their first Super Bowl title.
Walsh was so impressed with Buswell’s work that he commissioned a sculpture of him and Edward DeBartolo Jr., as a gift to the Niners’ owner. DeBartolo loved it and asked Buswell how he might repay him.
“Eddie D wanted to know what I wanted do with my talent and I said, ‘my dream is to work for the NFL, especially the Hall of Fame,’” Buswell recalled. “He put in a call to (former HOF executive) Pete Elliott and I went for an interview and got the job.”
Talk about a story coming full circle. Over the last 30 years, Buswell has sculpted the HOF likenesses of Walsh (1993), DeBartolo (2016) and Young (2020).
____________________
PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
The bust of Terry Bradshaw that was done by Blair Buswell in 1989.
Terry Bradshaw was getting fidgety. In the spring of 1989, Buswell was visiting the Texas home of the former Steelers’ quarterback and crafting his sculpture. Bradshaw suggested the two men step outside and throw a football around to break up the day’s work.
Buswell had caught hundreds of passes from future NFL quarterbacks and jumped at the opportunity. Bad decision.
“I never had a ball come at me like that,” Buswell said. “Terry is laughing and balls are just bouncing off me. There was no wobble, no rise or fall. Just bullets. I’m going back in the house to finish the sculpture and my hands are throbbing. Later on, I would get to meet Chuck Noll and he told me how Bradshaw used to split open the fingers of some of the Steelers’ rookies with his passes.”
Somewhere, the great Merlin Olson was chuckling.
The former Rams’ defensive tackle entered the Hall in 1982, a year before Buswelll started his job. The previous HOF sculptor did not meet with his subjects, capturing their likenesses by using only photos and hat sizes.
“I’ve been at this for a long time and I’ve never been able to figure out how you determine the length of a nose from a 7-3/8 hat size,” Buswell said.
Olson and Buswell were friends, having both grown up in Utah. When the defensive lineman removed the cloth from his HOF bust in the '82 ceremony, he was shocked by what was staring back at him. It probably was a reaction similar to Ronaldo’s.
“Merlin told me if there’s anyway possible, let the inductee be a part of it,” Buswell recalled. “Let him see what you are doing before it’s finished so he can suggest changes. . . . I said, ‘what I’m I supposed to do, call up Tom Landry and Don Shula and Dan Marino and say what are you doing Saturday?’ Merlin smiled at me and said, ‘yes.’”
PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME
Sculptor Blair Buswell takes measurements of Alan Faneca's nose using calipers.
Buswell has traveled the country to gain access to his subjects. The process starts the day after the Super Bowl because the new class of inductees are still on site. Buswell uses calipers to take measurements of head sizes and nose lengths. No detail is ignored.
The team of three HOF sculptors will either invite enshrinees to pose in studios or they will travel to their respective homes. Faneca, a Class of 2021 member, took his whole family to Utah to meet with Hammond.
“Ben and his family were great hosts,” Faneca said. “It was very interesting to watch him work as I sat there. So much would change with just a little bit of work.”
The Hall of Fame grants the artists creative license, but insists they work within certain parameters. The busts cannot contain earrings, neck rolls, eye black, hats or bandanas. (Sorry, Deion Sanders.)
Among the challenges facing the sculptors is that of turning back time. In 2012, Buswell spent the day creating the bust of former Steelers’ cornerback Jack Butler, who was 84-year-old. The artist had to portray him as a young player in the 1950s.
Often times, the subjects are more than happy with their bronzed facelifts.
“Bradshaw was glad to have hair again,” Buswell said. “He kind of stroked it and said, ‘this is nice.”
____________________
GETTY
Troy Polamalu during his playing days with the Steelers.
Buswell spent a chunk of last year on the phone with Cowher and his wife. Sculptor and subject have gotten to know each other well, but they are yet to meet.
The pandemic created havoc for many businesses and Buswell’s was not spared. Fears about the virus and travel restrictions scrubbed several in-person sittings, including the one with the former Steelers’ coach.
Buswell had to rely on old photos to shape those busts. He took pictures of works in progress and shared them with the subjects. That was the process he employed with Cowher.
“I would have loved to meet him,” Buswell said. “I just kept sending photos for him to make corrections until he and his wife were comfortable. We ended up going with that classic Cowher expression, the intensity is definitely there.”
The coach’s most prominent physical feature is his jutting jaw. The busts weigh about 40 pounds and, in Cowher’s case, some wiseacres might think 20 pounds were used for the chin.
Buswell does not dabble in caricature or exaggerate for effect. The artist made this point when discussing Polamalu’s hair, which he painstakingly brought to life in clay using only his fingers.
“I didn’t want the hair to detract from his face and his expression,” Buswell said. “I wasn’t going to do a sculpture of hair with a face (attached).”
Hall executive Rich Desrosiers said the busts of the nine deceased inductees from the 2020 and 2021 classes already have been unveiled in the museum. He believes they represent some of sculptors’ finest work.
Desrosiers sometimes walks through the Hall during business hours and chats with visitors. There’s one comment he hears repeatedly.
“People will stand in front of a bust they recognize and say, ‘wow, that looks just like him,’” the hall executive said.
BLAIR BUSWELL
Sculptor Blair Buswell poses in front a wagon train he helped create for Omaha, Neb., commemorating the western expansion of settlers in the 1800s.
The HOF portraits represent just a portion of Buswell’s artistic achievement. He’s sculpted a wide variety of subject matter in a range of sizes, including monuments to Mickey Mantle and Charlton Heston in Oklahoma City and an eight-foot figure of John Wooden on the UCLA campus. Buswell and other sculptors produced larger-than-life-size works for downtown Omaha, Neb., commemorating the westward expansion of settlers in the 1800s.
In other words, a lot of art lovers need to thank the quick-thinking BYU team doctor for those hand protectors. That includes the 40-year-old Polamalu, who’s recovering from COVID-19, and hopes to see his completed portrait for the first time Saturday in Canton.
Former Raiders’ coach John Madden, another of Buswell’s subjects, whimsically said he thinks all of the busts in the gallery talk to each other at night when the lights are turned off and the mere mortals go home. If that’s the case, Polamalu and 2021 inductee Drew Pearson could have a hair-raising argument for the ages. The Cowboys’ receiver apparently asked to be portrayed with a full-blown afro.
Buswell isn’t coming to Canton for this year’s enshrinement. The sculptor could use a break. If nothing else, one question he’s received for the last 18 months finally will be put to rest.
“Everyone I talked to about Polamalu wanted to know one thing: what about his hair?” Buswell said. “Hopefully, people will understand that I concentrated on his expression and captured his likeness and, oh by the way, he has long curly hair.”
With some extra “volume” on top.
