IOWA CITY, Iowa — Rarely does Dan Gable let his standard for excellence fall anything to less than gold.

The legendary coach and wrestler made an exception Wednesday when the University of Iowa honored Gable by unveiling a bronze statue of him outside Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“I want you to know this is the only bronze award that I will ever accept,” Gable quipped shortly after the statue sculpted by Larry Nowlan, the same artist who created the Nile Kinnick statue outside Kinnick Stadium, was unveiled by his four daughters.

The seven-foot statue reflects an iconic image of Gable calling for stalling in one of the Hawkeyes’ many great battles with in-state rival Iowa State.

At the base, it lists all of Gable’s contributions as both an athlete and coach in addition to this quote, “(No) stalling ... Execute. Contribute forever ... in sport and in life.”

“That is what it is really about,” Gable said of the saying. “It’s not about history. It is about future history. It is about people who want to be about something great in the future. That is what it is about.”