On January 28, 2011, Slee’s contribution to the civic monuments was unveiled by officials from the City of Fort Worth and Gerdau Ameristeel. The Cradle of Champions sculpture is the steel manufacturer’s gift to the city, one of the co-hosts of Super Bowl XLV, and was designed by Schifino Lee.
The artwork is made from steel recycled, cast and rolled by Gerdau at one of its mini mills. This is the the third time the Brazil-based metals companies has given a monument to a Super Bowl host city.
The sculpture stands in Sundance Square, the heart of Fort Worth.
According to a story on ESPN cable and internet, Cradle of Champions honors the rich tradition of scholar football in Texas. The 14 tons of steel come from North Texas Stadium, which was recently demolished, and high schools were asked to contribute some bit of steel from their own facilities. On the back of the sculpture will be engraved all the names of Lone Star high school and college football players who have and will play professional ball.
