BATON ROUGE - The LSU Athletic Hall of Fame Committee approved a proposal to honor football legend Billy Cannon with a statue on campus.

The committee voted unanimously to approve the proposal. Funding for the statue, like others, will come from private donations through the Tiger Athletic Foundation.

"There is no player more synonymous with LSU football than Billy Cannon," LSU Athletic Hall of Fame Committee Chair Bill Demastes said. "His ability on a football field made him a legend and the decision to honor him as such was unanimous."

A Baton Rouge native, Cannon was the winner of the 1959 Heisman Trophy as a halfback, and led the Tigers to the 1958 national championship/ He was inducted into the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 1975 and into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008. He was named LSU Alumnus of the Year in 2010.

"Billy is among the most heralded and identifiable college football players in NCAA history, and is largely responsible for the emergence of big-time football at LSU," Vice Chancellor and Director of Athletics Joe Alleva said. "I also believe his commitment to rebuild and dedicate his life in service to his family, the community, and the university he loves is admirable. He's a very human hero and LSU's most renowned."

The announcement comes just one day after Cannon's 80th birthday.

Details about the design and construction of the Billy Cannon statue will be announced in the coming months.