Raymond Hunter is frequently commissioned to create works of art commemorating subjects he's not too familiar with. He depends on the inspiration of his patron and a great deal of research to create the sculptures.

His latest work, which graces Reser Stadium, was no exception. He may not be a football fan, but Hunter depended on experts to help him create the consummate football player.

Hunter was commissioned by Corvallis football legend Bill Tomsheck to create the statue, a towering football player that pays tribute to the 1933 Oregon State College "Ironmen" football team. The sculpture, although based on team members from the 1930s team, wears a 2003 uniform, and OSU junior quarterback Derek Anderson posed for the piece.

"William Henry (Tomsheck) and I worked on this for a couple of years," Hunter said. "He's a really dedicated man. He's 95 and well worth listening to."

Hunter, a sculptor from Kings Valley, had been contracted by Tomsheck to create several smaller pieces, and was then chosen by the OSU alum to create a big dedication piece to Tomsheck's 1933 teammates. The Ironmen were legendary for a 0-0 tie against USC that broke a noteworthy Trojans winning streak, and it only took 11 men who played both offense and defense. Tomsheck is the last surviving member of that team.

"My job as the artist was to capture the Ironman's indomitable spirit and pass it on to present and future generations," Hunter wrote in his artist's statement.

Tomsheck's dedication to the project was amazing, he added, and the two spent many hours discussing the sculpture over Tomsheck's homemade soup before the work began.

"Bill ran the whole show," Hunter said. "It's smart to pay attention to the guy. He rummaged through all his football photos and got it down to 8 or 10. We edited and re-edited, and finally got down to one particular figure."

Tomsheck said he chose Hunter to create the sculpture because he was pleased with the other pieces the artist had created for him. The figure was a tribute to Tomsheck's years at OSU.

"I donated that in sincere appreciation for getting a college education on a football scholarship," he said.

When Tomsheck arrived at OSU in the 1930s from Illinois, he'd managed to save up just enough money to attend college. He was the only child of eight in his family to graduate from high school, and he knew a college degree would help him establish a successful career.

But then the Depression hit, and Tomsheck lost all the money he'd saved for college. Luckily, his athletic abilities attracted the notice of football coaches, and he was told if he waited until fall term began, he might be able to receive a football scholarship if he made the team.

"I had to sweat out near starvation from June through September," Tomsheck recalled, but with fall came the news that he'd made the team, and his college career was secure.

Tomsheck said his team was pronounced legendary for two reasons, the shut out against USC, and the running of the "pyramid play," where two players literally hold up a third teammate to block a kick. The play was eventually made illegal, but Tomsheck's team had bragging rights because they used it twice.

While the "Ironmen" figure was based on the 1933 team, OSU requested that the sculpture depict a modern player, so Hunter borrowed equipment from the team, and asked Anderson to model so Hunter would have the figure as accurate as possible.

"We took a photo study (of Anderson) to make sure I didn't make too many wrong turns," Hunter said.

The statue was unveiled Saturday before the game against Arizona State. It stands on a concourse in the southwest corner of the stadium.

"I'm real pleased," said Tomsheck, who attended the unveiling with his brother.

Hunter is now working on several other commissions, including massive gates, a project he's worked on for several property owners, including claymation artist Will Vinton. He's also fielding long distance phone calls from his artist daughter, Czarina, who is attending her first year of college at an all-girls school in Virginia. That's enough to keep him busy.

He said he's grateful for the support of former OSU President Paul Risser, as well as Bob De Carolis and Lynda Wolfenbarger of the OSU Athletic Department for their help on the project.

"The greatest sculptures," he wrote in his artist's statement, "are built with supportive enthusiasm."

Theresa Hogue is the higher education reporter for the Gazette-Times. She can be reached at theresa.hogue@lee.net or at 758-9526.