Nittany Lion gets tire art makeover as part of Cotton Bowl tradition
Penn State has another Nittany Lion to match the statue on its campus. Goodyear made a life-size replica statue of a Nittany Lion to commemorate Penn State’s participation in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic.
The statue stands over five feet tall and weighs more than 200 pounds. It was made along with a replica of Memphis’ Tom the Tiger mascot and together, the statues were made from more than 260 tires and took more than 400 man hours to complete. The Nittany Lions will take on the Tigers Saturday afternoon in the Cotton Bowl.
The company released a time-lapse video of the creation of both mascots.
Former minor league pitcher Blake McFarland was commissioned by Goodyear to complete the artwork.
Goodyear has commissioned McFarland to make replicas like the ones created this season for four years to honor the teams playing in the game.
The statues will be used as the festivities for Cotton Bowl festivities leading up to the game and will be donated to both schools at the conclusion of the week.
This story was originally published December 27, 2019 at 2:38 PM.
