Before each home athletic competition, Illinois State student-athletes touch the Battle Bird, a likeness of the Redbird logo. The ceremony signifies a dedication to Illinois State and a common bond to the school's other student-athletes, past and present.
The sculpture was unveiled in 2000. Each year, a Redbird fan bids for the right to be known for a full year as the 'Keeper of the Bird.'
The first was Laverne "Speed" Chagnon, a Redbird tennis standout in the late 1940s and early 1950s.
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