When Zack Pasley, a local woodworking artist, set out to create life-sized foam boards of Chicago Bears Defensive End Austin Booker, Kansas City Chiefs Running Back Carson Steele, as well as Steele’s beloved pet alligator, Crocky-J, he had no idea his creations would take on a life of their own, gaining the attention of the community and, eventually, NBC. By day, Pasley works in medical sales at Rehab Medical, helping people improve their mobility and quality of life with power wheelchairs and wheelchairs. At night he dedicates time to his creative passions.
Pasley’s foam board journey began as a fun challenge sparked by his wife’s aversion to blow-up decorations. “My wife wasn’t a fan of blow-up decorations, and I’ve always liked working with my hands,” Pasley shared. “I saw a TikTok video of people using housing insulation foam to make life-size figures, and I thought, ‘Why not give it a try?’”
Pasley experimented with the technique and soon found himself creating large, detailed foam sculptures, including Booker, Steele and Crocky-J figures.
Pasley’s connection to the Steele family began after years of being a quiet fan. Zack, his wife, Joanna, and their two children, Eli (9) and Zoey (11), transplanted to Center Grove eight years ago. “I moved to the Center Grove area right when Carson was a freshman,” Pasley said. “I’ve followed every Center Grove game, whether online or in person, since then. There was a picture of Carson stiff-arming a Bears player as he scored a touchdown, and I thought, ‘I can make that.’”
With a combination of foam insulation and artistic talent, Pasley crafted a lifelike cutout of Steele. “I didn’t tell my wife at first,” Pasley said. “One day she asked me, ‘What are you doing?’ I just casually said, ‘I’m making Carson Steele’ and kept working. It was just something I felt like doing. It’s fun!”
But the project didn’t stop with Steele. Steele’s beloved alligator, Crocky-J, caught Pasley’s attention also. “I wanted to make Crocky-J as well and make him look realistic, but I also gave him a little twist – a gold chain with ‘Crocky-J’ on it,” he said. Soon he added another Trojan-turned-NFL-pro, Austin Booker.
Pasley shared his foam figures with his neighborhood kids one morning, taking photos at the bus stop before posting the images in the local Center Grove Chatter group on Facebook. The response was immediate. “By 10:30 in the morning, the post had several hundred likes and comments,” Pasley recalled. “One of those comments was from Angela Steele, Carson’s mom. I had never met her before, but she messaged me asking if she could stop by and take a picture with Crocky-J. I thought that was awesome.”
That Friday afternoon, Angela Steele arrived at Pasley’s home to see the foam boards in person. “She showed up with a big smile on her face,” Pasley said. “We talked for about 30 minutes and she even took a selfie with Crocky-J, which she made her profile picture. It was so surreal.”
The connection didn’t stop there. Pasley soon received a message from Angela Steele asking if the foam boards could be featured on NBC’s coverage of an upcoming Kansas City Chiefs game, when Carson Steele would be playing. “She asked if it was OK to share the pictures with NBC, and I was like, ‘Of course!’” Pasley said. “A little while later, she clarified it was NBC in New York. I was blown away.”
Sure enough, during the broadcast, a clip featuring Pasley’s foam boards aired on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football”.
“It was wild,” Pasley said. “I never expected something I made in my garage to end up on national television.”
Since then the foam boards have become a local sensation, with people stopping by Pasley’s yard daily to see them in person. “It’s been hilarious,” he said. “I’ve got the boards set up as part of my Halloween decorations, and 10 to 15 people stop by every day to check them out. I’m out there mowing the lawn, and people just stop to chat.” These creations can be found in the neighborhood of Willow Lakes East in Center Grove.
As for what’s next, Pasley is considering expanding this part of his artistic endeavors. “I’ve had people asking for more foam boards, especially for local events and practices,” he said. “I’m not sure where this is going to take me, but I’m having a blast. It’s just so fun to bring this spirit to life.”
For Pasley it’s all about the love of community and creativity. “Center Grove is a big community with big spirit,” he said. “Whether it’s for high school football, the Colts or anything else, I just love seeing people come together like this,” he said. “If my foam boards can add to that excitement, I’m all for it.”
Pasley’s work is a testament to community spirit. His foam boards have become not just a fun decoration, but also a symbol of Center Grove pride. As he continues to make waves locally, Pasley shows no signs of slowing down.
You can support Pasley and his work at zawdgifts.my.canva.site/zawdwood.
