A North Canton man has been selected to create the latest of the commemorative art pieces celebrating the pro football’s greatest moments. The collection – known as The Eleven – is a mutli-year project of Arts in Stark and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Dirk Rozich was awarded a $40,000 commission to complete a mural based on the historic upset of the Super Bowl III.
That’s the year New York Jets quarterback Joe Namath correctly predicted the long-shot victory of his team over the Baltimore Colts.
Rozich says he is making sure Namath is appropriately represented in his mural.
“(Namath) was the underdog and he’s the one that took all those punches on the chin -- everyone saying ‘you’re not having a chance’.' And he ended up being a giant on that field. If you watch that game, he knew exactly what to do and I just want to show the power he had over that game. That’s why he is so large in my mural.”
Rozich’s mural will be displayed on the side of the Cultural Center for the Arts in Canton.