Adam Prentice, a fifth-year Colorado State University civil engineering student and football player, is used to facing tall challenges. So, when he was tasked with leading the move of a 15-foot, 8,000-pound cowboy statue outside of Shepardson Hall, he gladly obliged.
It all stemmed from a major renovation project of Shepardson, includes additions to the building affecting the east side of Monfort Quad, where the massive 20% Chance of Flurries statue formerly stood.
The task of moving the statue was no easy feat, but Prentice was willing to lead the project. After a few years of interning with Facilities Management and applying his structural engineering knowledge, Prentice, a fullback for the CSU Rams, saw the challenge as a great opportunity.
“Some of the things the project included were a structural design aspect, project management, organizing work, managing timelines and other responsibilities assigned by my supervisor,” said Prentice. “It was good practice and a good challenge for me to take on.”
Coaching the project
While Prentice was excited to take on the project, he said there were definite struggles and road bumps along the way.
“All we had were a few documents and pictures of the structure,” he explained. “There were no construction documents or any idea of how the cowboy was sitting on the pedestal.”
After five months of careful planning beginning in June, the statue’s move included exploratory demos, a lot of guessing and difficult problem-solving. Prentice also had to balance his full course schedule with football camps and practices while leading the project. However, the dedication and hard work paid off.
“Adam is an excellent student and athlete,” said Dan Kozlowski, one of Prentice’s Facilities Management supervisors. “I can only say he is a model for character and extremely dedicated to CSU – both academically and with sports.”
Prentice, along with the team he was leading, successfully moved the statue to the west side of Monfort Quad. A crane was used to lift the pieces of the statue, and they are all successfully reassembled now, thanks to Prentice’s careful planning.
The experience was valuable for Prentice, the 2018 Allstate/AFCA Good Works Team nominee for community involvement.
“I had to do a lot of organizing and communicating to keep the project moving,” Prentice said. “It was a great experience to do this, and I appreciate people working around my classes and practices. Being a football player and still having the opportunity to lead a project like this is great, and this university has given me a lot of amazing opportunities.”
