Boise State gave Kellen Moore a permanent place on The Blue on a rainy Halloween night, unveiling an 11-foot bronze statue of the program icon during halftime of the Broncos’ one-point win over Texas State at Albertsons Stadium.
The tribute matched the scale of Moore’s place in Boise State history. Now the head coach of the New Orleans Saints, Moore built his legacy on a 50-3 record as a starter, a run that made him the winningest quarterback in college football history. The statue, which will sit outside the northwest corner of the stadium near Entry One Plaza and the Bleymaier Football Center, was revealed after a video presentation and countdown, with the sculpture hidden beneath a plastic tarp before the crowd got its first look.
Moore said before the unveiling, “I did not expect [to have a statue],” Moore said in a press conference before the unveiling. “It’s a really cool honor, and I think hopefully it just kind of is a representation for an era of Boise State football that was really fun, really special.”
His four seasons as Boise State’s starter left a massive imprint. Moore’s 14,667 passing yards and 142 touchdown passes remain program records, and in 2010 he became the first Boise State Heisman finalist. He finished in the top 10 in Heisman voting three times during his career.
The wins that defined that stretch still sit at the center of Boise State’s identity: the 2010 Fiesta Bowl over No. 4 TCU, the 2009 regular-season game against No.
16 Oregon and the road victory over No. 10 Virginia Tech in 2010.
Those moments, paired with Moore’s leadership and blue-collar approach, helped push Boise State onto the national stage.
“To have that history and tradition and to have that foundation, to see our guys today when Kellen spoke to the team, it’s just really cool,” athletic director Jeremiah Dickey said. “Part of me being here is him. I remember watching those games and what Boise State was accomplishing, and we owe a lot to him.”
When the tarp came off the statue, which captures Moore’s trademark left-handed release, the stadium erupted. The piece was created by sculptor Ben Victor, who lives and works in Boise after originally coming from California. Victor spent six months molding the statue in clay before casting it in bronze.
He paid close attention to the smallest details, including Moore’s towel, and adjusted the design after taking feedback from Bronco Nation on social media. Victor said he changed the helmet design and redid the entire head mold after fans weighed in.
“He’s just such a good ambassador,” Victor told Idaho News 6. “He’s a wonderful person, not just an excellent, amazing athlete, so it’s great to be able to commemorate people like him.”
Boise State’s reputation for producing players admired for more than just their production has long been part of the program’s identity, with names like Asthon Jeanty, Ian Johnson and Doug Martin part of that tradition. Moore helped build that standard, and his statue now makes that legacy impossible to miss.
For everyone who walks onto The Blue, the orange 11-yard line hash mark now stands as a reminder of what Moore meant to the program. When asked about his proudest accomplishment at Boise State, Moore pointed to the program’s continued growth.
“Just continuing to evolve with Boise State football,” Moore said when asked about his proudest accomplishment at Boise State. “ …To see where this place is now with what (Dickey) and (Spencer Danielson) have done and the continued evolution of this place, it’s unique, it’s one-of-one, and I think it’s awesome.”
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