Standards of Greatness

“Standards of Greatness”  20″ x 16″ Lithograph

Rick Rush’s Standards of Greatness, a commissioned work that followed the 2010 #1 Alabama vs. #14 Penn State game, features the Crimson Tide’s Trent Richardson bulldozing his way towards the endzone with Nittany defenders in tow. Head coaches Nick Saban and Joe Paterno stand at opposing ends of the field. This latest match in the historic rivalry between Linebacker-U and Runningback-U took place at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on September 11th, 2010 – Paul “Bear” Bryant’s birthday.

Headed by Richardson, who rushed for a career-high 144 yards on 22 carries and a touchdown and 4 catches for 46 yards, Alabama defeated Penn State 24-3. Richardson would be named the SEC Offensive Player of the Week for his efforts.

Joe Paterno holds the record for the most victories in college football, he has coached more bowl game wins than any other coach in college football history and is the first FBS coach to reach 400 victories. Nick Saban is the only coach in the BCS era to win a national championship with two different schools, and according to Forbes Magazine is “The Most Powerful Coach in Sports.”