(Radio Iowa) – Iowa State University has kicked off its 100th anniversary remembrance of Jack Trice. Trice was the school’s first black athlete, who died from injuries suffered in a football game. Trice’s cousin, George Trice, spoke at the opening ceremonies Friday.

“We talk about the Jack Trice way, and breaking barriers. Those are two things that are powerful when you put them together — the Jack Trice way of breaking barriers — and that resonates with me,” he says. The university unveiled a 200-thousand pound, concrete and bronze, “Breaking Barriers” sculpture just north of Jack Trice Stadium as part of the celebration. George Trice visited the statue and walked through it with his wife and oldest son.

George-Trice-(ISU-photo)

“Touching it, feeling it, getting the chance to walk through that, and just to see what, what feelings I was going to have. I really didn’t know what they were going to be,” he says. “It was awesome.” Trice says the monument continues to show people around the world that the Jack Trice movement is not just a statue, not just a logo, but something that we truly believe in and live by on a daily basis. Trice thanked Iowa State University, saying they have treated him and Trice’s other relatives like family.

“Iowa State is a family. Cyclones forever Cyclones everywhere. And that is really true here because of the love I’m seeing here,” he says. Events will continue throughout the year.

Learn more about the celebration here: https://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2022/10/06/jt1000