There's Ed Reed's hair — the detailed texture of his natural hair he referred to as a "Django" look.
And Troy Polamalu's wavy locks, flowing past his shoulders just as they did in his NFL heyday, when his hair draped over the nameplate on the back of his jersey.
Those immortalized features are adorned on the Pro Football Hall of Fame busts that are spot-on likenesses for the two Hall of Fame safeties. Possibly, so, too, will be the right cheek birthmark of former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees, who was announced on Feb. 5 as a member of the HOF's five-man Class of '26.
He is joined by receiver Larry Fitzgerald, linebacker Luke Kuechly, running back Roger Craig and kicker Adam Vinatieri.
Brees' birthmark is among the most distinguishable facial features among any HOF class and Blair Buswell, lead sculptor for the busts, would be surprised if it's not included when they are unveiled at the induction ceremony in August.
"I would be very surprised, (but) that's not a dealbreaker," Buswell said.
Since 1983, Buswell has sculpted more than 110 busts of the HOF inductees. Brees and his classmates reported for bust, ring and jacket measurements on Saturday, Feb. 7. Now, Buswell will accumulate a trove of photos in order to create the look that's satisfactory for the inductee.
The factors include facial expressions, hair styles and the age they feel best depicts them during their playing career.
"Now that I know who everybody is, I get ahold of the teams and get as many pictures of them as I can as a player," Buswell said. "(I'll) go on the internet, get pictures of them as a player without helmets. And get different expressions, different angles, different hair, whatever.
"And then when they come I've got a picture board, we go over it and say, 'OK, what do you feel comfortable with?' They might say, 'I like that hair, I like that age and I like that expression.' And then they sit down, and we spend the day working on it."
"Now that I've got the measurements (using a caliper) I can get started, so that I'm not starting from scratch when they walk in the door. I've got eyes and ears and nose in the right place, the right size. Then, we decide on those things and we sit and talk."
Buswell is one of three sculptors; he trained two others. "I'm quality control, to make sure everyone is on the same page," he said. "We all do it the same way."
Buswell said the timeline for creating the busts is clear. "We found out who they were on Thursday, and I have until induction in August," he said. "I have to get the pictures and do the clay, have a mold made, have it cast in bronze and ready in time."
The only year in which time became a factor was 2020, when the HOF matched the year and inducted 20 new members, around 12 more than the usual maximum.
That shouldn't be the case this year for this class and Brees, the only first-ballot Hall of Famer in Saints history.
