1. They stayed in Marshall for a fundraising event. Woelfel, who had a speaking part in the movie, said it brought a lot of people back together to deal with the loss and they did it collectively. Rick Tolley is behind him. Two-and-a-half months ago, Dawson remarried. 1970 Marshall Thundering Herd football team, 1970 NCAA University Division independents football records, 1970 NCAA University Division football season, "Memories of Marshall; ex-player says shock of crash never ends", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1970_Marshall_Thundering_Herd_football_team&oldid=1109112752, 1970 NCAA University Division independents football season, Marshall Thundering Herd football seasons, Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using CFB schedule with named parameters, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 8 September 2022, at 01:19. Dawson was not on the plane when it crashed. A memorial fountain will be turned off the same time it is every year only to be turned back on in the spring. The weather conditions were poor, mist and light rain with broken clouds at 500 feet. Her flight made it safely back to that same Tri-State Airport the Marshall plane never reached. "I asked her many, many times [why she urged him to stay] before she passed," Carter said. When he passed, Loria's wife was pregnant with Frank Loria Jr. Beamer guided the buses to the memorial. The dog's name was Sturmisch. She spoke of her husband's early days as an assistant at Ferrum Junior College in Virginia. I don't think I believed it.. It was real big-time negligence. The pair were listening to country music when the bulletin came across that a plane had crashed in Huntington. A fireman on Nov. 15, 1970, looks over the wreckage of a DC-9 jet that crashed the day before on approach near a mountaintop airport a few miles from Huntington, W.Va. Bobby East, driver of the #21 Ford during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, died Wednesday, July 13, 2022, after being fatally stabbed at a gas station in Westminster, Calif. 16 and undefeated at 6-0. Mary Jane was the perfect coach's wife. The ceremony was held by invitation-only due to the coronavirus pandemic and was made available online. Art Harris, #22, 1970 MU Football team, b&w. One day, the wife of the head coach was in class. "Shoulda, coulda, woulda.". They left behind six children who were being babysat by Dan DAntoni, a 23-year-old assistant with the Marshall basketball program in 1970. "God is your pilot. What they witnessed was dystopian. "'The phrase is about respect, and it makes you realize you can't take anything for granted. In its second season under head coach Rick Tolley, the team compiled a 36 record and was outscored by a total of 202 to 138. With 37 players gone due to the horrific tragedy, the NCAA allowed Marshalls freshmen players to suit up the next season. "It was losing faith in these ministers. It all began with a three-year long losing streak from season 1966-69. There was no playbook, and nobody had been in that position before.". Dawson hopes it goes as well as last year. Marshall Thundering Herd cheerleaders react as a video saluting the 1970 team that was killed in a plane crash is shown on the scoreboard prior to. He was the center. A mass funeral was held at the field house and many of the dead were buried at the Spring Hill Cemetery, some together because bodies were not identifiable. He was well-liked by his teammates not a rah-rah kid, but one who led by example.". ". We'll look at what happened to the Marshall University football program as a . ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? He hid behind that sycamore each Nov. 14 for 20 years or so afterward because it hid him from the speeches, the families, the orphans, maybe his own remorse. The Ceredo and Kenova fire departments were recognized at the event. The aircraft was a 95-seat, twin-jet engine Douglas DC-9-30 with tail registration N97S. "I always loved to fly," she said. To this day, she isn't satisfied. It signified the teams unity as not just a football team, but one family. Suddenly, then-Lucianne Kautz was without a father. They had met in Roanoke, Virginia, where she taught. Or would he have gotten on the plane himself? But that begs the very human question of why God spared him and not those on the plane? "He said: 'Your husband is in the plane, too.' He has accomplished that goal. Just before 8 pm, the plane crashed into a hill two miles from the Tri-State Airport in Kenova, W.V., where everyone on aboard were killed on impact. As a 21-year-old newlywed senior cheerleader at Marshall, she read the news of the crash on the crawl at the bottom of a television screen. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. Sketch titled "America Weeps, Saturday Nov. 14, 1970." (Bettmann/Bettmann Archive), "'We Are Marshall' just stuck," Smith said. The next day, Mary Jane was gone. "Happy" Heath, of Huntington, West Virginia, Elaine Lois Heath, of Huntington, West Virginia, James Jarrell, of Huntington, West Virginia, Cynthia Scott Leslie Jarrell, of Huntington, West Virginia, Kenneth Jones, of Huntington, West Virginia - WHTN-TV sports director, Charles E. Kautz - Athletic director of Marshall University, Eugene J. Morehouse - sports information director, Jeffrey P. Nathan, of Parksburg, West Virginia - sports editor of MU's student newspaper, Dr. Brian R. O'Connor, of Huntington, West Virginia - admissions director of Marshall University, Michael R. Prestera, delegate-elect to the West Virginia Legislature, Dr. Glenn Preston, of Huntington, West Virginia - Local dentist, Phyllis Jean Charles Preston, of Huntington, West Virginia, Dr. Herbert D. Proctor, of Huntington, West Virginia, Courtney Phillips Proctor, of Huntington, West Virginia, Murrill Ralsten, of Huntington, West Virginia - City councilman, Helen Ralsten, of Huntington, West Virginia, Parker Ward, of Huntington, West Virginia, Danny Deese, of Atlanta, Georgia - Charter coordinator, Copyright 2002 Check SixThis page last updated Saturday, August 25, 2018. with questions or comments about this web site. Loria had been a two-time All-American at Virginia Tech. Bobby East, driver of the #21 Ford during the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, died Wednesday, July 13, 2022, after being fatally stabbed at a gas station in Westminster, Calif. "I could hear the speeches and see what was going on [from behind the tree]," he said. [4][9], The effects of the crash on Huntington went far beyond the Marshall campus. [5] The accident is the deadliest tragedy to have affected any sports team in U.S. All six players would later be put to rest underground at the Spring Hill Cemetery just near Marshall University. Among the 75 who perished were 36 players. Hewlett gave Carter a pamphlet titled, "Steps To Peace With God." This college football 1970s season article is a stub. But when the town got together, they decided to continue the team's tradition in remembrance of the loved ones lost on that 1970 night. Eventually, Rick won over their hearts and minds. "Couldn't keep the tears out of my eyes. On November 12, 1972, the Memorial Fountain was dedicated at the entrance of the Memorial Student Center. "The reason it's survivor's guilt is because so many people changed their mind at the last minute," Call said. All 75 passengers on the team plane were killed in the crash, including 37 members of the Marshall University football team, eight football coaches, including head coach Rick Tolley, athletic director Charlie Kautz, 25 boosters and five flight crew members. Kautz died in the 1970 plane crash. According to the official National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report, the accident was "unsurvivable". 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. A plaque was placed on the base on August 10, 1973, reading: They shall live on in the hearts of their families and friends forever and this memorial records their loss to the university and the community. White roses are placed along the edge of the Memorial Fountain to honor the 75 lives lost in the 1970 plane crash during the 50th Annual Memorial Fountain Service Saturday, Nov. 14, 2020, at the Memorial Student Center in Huntington, W.Va. Marshall commemorated the 50th anniversary of the worst disaster in U.S. sports history, when 75 people, including most of the football team, were killed in a Nov. 14, 1970, plane crash. Following its plane crash, Wichita State was granted similar permission to use freshmen on the varsity to resume its 1970 season. At that time, I thought I was a pretty bad-ass man.". 1970 aviation accident in West Virginia, United States, A Southern Airways Douglas DC-9 similar to the aircraft involved in the accident, Pinkston, Antwon. When it came time to return, Carter's mother Sarah urged him to stay at home. All were on the travel squad list before the plane crash. It was the second college football team plane crash in a little over a month, after the October 2 crash that killed 31 (head coach, 14 Wichita State players, and 16 others). "My mom got on the phone, and then she just passed out, said Carolyn Harris, the youngest daughter. It was unveiled to thousands 90 minutes before the game with the Miami University RedHawks. Dave Griffith, #81, 1970 MU Football team, b&w. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. "For a long time, he couldn't handle it," Call said. At age 69, the former Marshall defender calls himself a "traveling preacher." At age 78, there's a part of Dawson that questions whether fate is the lone reason he is not among those being memorialized rather than those observing it. [13][14], The Marshall University football team only won two games during the 1971 season, against Xavier and Bowling Green. Marshall coach Rick Tolley demonstrating a move to team captain Dave Griffith, Mike Blake and Dave DeBord (left to right) in 1970. In 1968, Dawson was hired by new Marshall coach Perry Moss as defensive coordinator. NFL player and Marshall alum Joseph "Lee" Smith, told buffalobills.com that at one point, there would "never be another football team" at Marshall following the devastation the town faced. The bill establishes that Nov. 14 will become a special memorial day in remembrance of the crash. Marshall Plane Crash Site Marker. He was the center. It's categorized as a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Memorial newspaper page from The Herald-Advertiser. This site is a memorial to the lives that were lost on that evening; to honor those men and women who made a mark in the hearts of a school, a community and a nation. "I got a call from our operations guy. He will speak at the annual memorial on Saturday like he has now for years. Accessibility Statement, Privacy If he had gone with Art Sr., would they have made the same mistake or would they have flown to the correct city? In the report, the NTSB concluded, "[] the probable cause of this accident was the descent below Minimum Descent Altitude during a nonprecision approach under adverse operating conditions, without visual contact with the runway environment". Banners will be raised across the Marshall campus bearing their images. Loria became Marshall's defensive backs coach in 1970. "I'm still wondering why.". Call is giddy talking about Marshall president Jerome Gilbert's initiative to award all 36 players their diplomas at a Friday afternoon ceremony. December 11, 2006, Huntington Tri-State Airport/Milton J. Ferguson Field, Marshall University Thundering Herd football team, 38 22' 27" N. latitude and 82 34' 42" W. longitude, 2013 Conference USA Football Championship game, 1970 Marshall Thundering Herd football team, List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft, Wichita State University football team plane crash, "Marshall crash still looms after 36 years", "Plane crash devastates Marshall University", "The story of the 1970 Marshall Plane Crash", "Tragedy litters the sports landscape: Marshall remains the worst sports-related air disaster", "Reporter recalls memories from worst sports- related air tragedy in US history", "NTSB Aircraft Accident Report Southern Airways Inc. DC-9, N97S, Tri-State Airport, Huntington, West Virginia, November 14, 1970", "People have not forgotten Marshall Crash 30 years ago", "Emotions of tragedy drew Lengyel to Marshall", "Marshall football, 50 years after plane crash, carries on, and remembers", "Akron Alum Jack Lengyel to Receive AFCA's McLaughry Award", "Memorial Fountain designed to represent 'upward growth, immortality, eternality', "Marshall Memorial Bronze unveiled to mix of emotions", "Marker placed at site of crash, Dec. 11, 2006", "43 years later, Marshall still honors memory of fallen players", "Marshall Football to Don '75' Helmets for Remainder of Season", "ECU, Marshall game postponed due to pandemic", Aviation history synopsis of Southern Airways Flight 932 (with photographs), List of victims of Southern Airways Flight 932, PlaneCrashInfo.Com Southern Airways Flight 932 entry, Marshall University Forensic Science Graduate Program, Marshall University South Charleston Campus, Arthur Weisberg Family Engineering Laboratories, Robert C. Byrd Biotechnology Science Center, Evergreen International Airlines Flight 17, 1990 Wayne County Airport runway collision, Capitol International Airways Flight C2C3/26, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Southern_Airways_Flight_932&oldid=1142434206, Aviation accidents and incidents in the United States in 1970, Airliner accidents and incidents in West Virginia, Airliner accidents and incidents involving controlled flight into terrain, Accidents and incidents involving the McDonnell Douglas DC-9, November 1970 events in the United States, Aviation accidents and incidents involving sports teams, Articles with dead external links from May 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 2 March 2023, at 10:15. She traveled to Washington, D.C. for the hearings that were supposed to explain the crash. (East Carolina is located nearby in Greenville.) | They even won a couple of games. In the days before instant news, the fog of tragedy took time to lift. Things were going swimmingly two weeks before the East Carolina game. That's German for "stormy." The NCAA granted Marshall permission to use freshmen on the varsity squad, something which was not allowed at the time. "Anniversaries are supposed to be happy," Slezak said . 2023 Marshall University. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. The report also noted that the craft approached the Catlettsburg Refinery in the final 30 seconds before impact, which "could haveaffecteda visual illusion produced by the difference in the elevation of the refinery and the airport," which was nearly 300ft (91m) higher than the refinery, with hills in between. Marshall coach Rick Tolley demonstrating a move to team captain Dave Griffith, Mike Blake and Dave DeBord (left to right) in 1970. "Nobody did anything. Shannon died in the plane crash. Frank got the whole team out and they went up and placed that Hokie Stone on the memorial. "At 21, you haven't been familiar with death. Reggie Oliver was an outgoing quarterback who eventually made his way into the Marshall hall of fame. We Are Marshall starred Matthew McConaughey as Jack Lengyel, the head coach who took over the program in 1971. One of Dawson's greatest contributions may have been the recruiting of four African-American athletes out of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. After suffering the loss to East Carolina on Nov. 14, 1970, a majority of the Marshall team boarded Southern Airlines Flight 932. He met with former Marshall coach Red Dawson, who gave away his seat on the plane that night. The House of Delegates passed the bill last month. Four of the crash victims were students in her class, and Marshall faculty were sent to attend the funerals. The Harris family detailed thatevening in a 1995 article in The Record. [4] The following Saturday, another memorial service was held at the outdoor, 18,000-seat Fairfield Stadium. Art Shannon, #34, 1970 MU Football team, b&w. Classes at Marshall, along with numerous events and shows by the Marshall Artists Series (and the football team's game against the Ohio Bobcats), were cancelled and government offices were closed. "I can remember the hurt in my stomach like it was yesterday," Beamer said. Marshall's Plane Crash Happened 52 Years Ago, But the Memory Still Remains. "I believe I want to be buried up there with my boys," Dawson said. [1][2], The plane was carrying 37 members of the Marshall University Thundering Herd football team, eight members of the coaching staff, 25 boosters, two pilots, two flight attendants, and a charter coordinator. Carter maintains he was spared because of God's providence. var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; Private. Prior to the state Senate's unanimous vote Wednesday, the chamber held a moment of silence for the crash victims at . A sign of renewed life. This flight was the only flight that year for the Marshall University football team. The return became the subject of the film, "We Are Marshall". Varsity Aces Live: Marshall Football Plane Crash 50th Anniversary. But football quickly drained from him after the crash. Joe Hood, Larry Sanders, Robert Van Horn and Freddy Wilson had come from Druid High School. A memorial bell tower is being planned for a location on WV 75 near exit 1 along Interstate 64. All were on the travel squad list before the plane crash. Artwork by Eugene Payne, Staff Artist, The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, N.C.". Scott would call up and say, 'Any time you want to call, you call me night or day. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Head coach Rick Tolley was among the crash victims. There are gravesites at Spring Hill Cemetery bearing the remains of six Marshall players from the crash who could never be identified. "That had taken a toll on my football coaching, a lot of bad things. Slezak, who lived in Passaic, New Jersey,at the time,could have been on the plane that, on Nov. 14, 1970, crashed and took the lives of 75 passengers including 44 Marshall University football players and coaches, 26 fans and a crew of five. He wanted them to learn about the Frank Loria he admired so much. > All three were killed in the plane crash. After the crash, Red Dawson helped bring together a group of players who were on the junior varsity football team during the 1970 season, as well as students and athletes from other sports, to form a 1971 football team.[12]. Mary Jane was persistent. The Thundering Herd upset Xavier, 15-13, in an emotional victory for the ages. [3] The team was returning home after a 1714 loss to the East Carolina Pirates at Ficklen Stadium in Greenville, North Carolina. Marshall fans and residents of Huntington, W.V. While in the air, the plane struck a tree on a tall hill and crashed to the ground. He was also the offensive line coach. During the 1970 college football season, Marshall suffered a devastating loss to East Carolina in week 9 to drop the Thundering Herd to 3-6 on the year. Just like winter leads to spring, these bad memories now lead us to, I think, a day of celebration, Woelfel said. It's more than that, of course. New Bern, Craven County, North Carolina, USA . She has all of them, including an image of offensive guard John "Jimo" Adams, whose daughter Patricia was born the day her father was buried. Digital Collections That's why, when a vet recommended Mary Jane stay home that weekend of Nov. 14 because a tumor had developed in Sturmisch's toe, there was no hesitation. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Allen Gene Skeens, #59, 1970 MU Football team, b&w. Skeens was killed in the plane crash. She never could explain it other than saying God had spoken to her. CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) A bill has won final legislative approval in West Virginia that would establish an annual day of recognition for the worst sports disaster in U.S. history, a plane crash that killed most of Marshall Universitys football team. At 7:36 p.m. Nov. 14, 1970, Southern Airways Flight 932 crashed into a hill just short of the Tri-State Airport, killing all 75 people on board. 00:00 / 00:00. The victims included 36 football players and 39 school administrators, coaches, fans, spouses and flight crew. Carelli was killed in the Mu plane crash. We didn't have children, so she was like a child. Marshall is ranked No. She feared for his safety. Trademarked and copyrighted images and insignia are the exclusive property of Marshall University. Charles Kautz is third from right, with tie. 50 years, McConaughey said Saturday on Twitter. Hill died in the 1970 plane crash. Beamer had brought a special Hokie Stone inscribed with Loria's name. To make matters worse, Marshall was placed on probation by the NCAA because of recruiting violations and alleged payments to its players, the Daily News reported at the time. "I didn't want anybody to see me crying. Mom and her intuition won. The late Jack Hardin, then a Huntington Herald-Dispatch reporter, once recalled stepping over a log on his way up the hill to cover the story. The victims included 36 Marshall University football players, 9 coaches and administrators, 25 fans and air crew of 5. . Normally in that situation, the cheerleaders would draw straws to see who went. Former WSAZ-TV reporter Bob Brunner shared with CBS Sports, in disturbing detail, the sights and smells he experienced that night trudging up the hill and witnessing the wreckage. "He didn't tell anyone what he was going to do until the last minute," Hamrick said. MU plane crash historical marker, Wayne County, W.Va. Southern Airways DC-9, similiar to plane that crashed with MU football team, Dedication of Memorial Fountain to MU plane crash victims, Nov. 12, 1972, William Alfred "Red" Dawson, Asst. The solemn ceremony was held around a fountain dedicated to the crash victims on Marshalls Huntington campus. The subsequent negotiations resulted in a reduction of the weight of passengers and baggage and the charter flight was scheduled. He was like a sounding board.". Nepal's army and volunteers carry the body of a victim who died in a Yeti Airlines plane crash in Pokhara on January 17, 2023. Virginia Tech's coach had a plan for the pregame. Tottenham Hotspur players observe a minutes silence for the victims of the plane crash involving the Brazilian club Chapecoense prior to the Premier. Plymale said his mother was a professor at Marshall. Tragedy struck Marshall University more than a half-century ago, when most of the school's football program was involved in a plane crash . [12] Lengyel was named to take Tolley's place on March 12, 1971, after Dick Bestwick, the first choice for the job, backed out after just one week and returned to Georgia Tech. He and the sycamore have aged well. There is still a hint of that strapping tight end's body. One day, she rounded a corner in her house. Her life had become unhinged. It slipped out from underneath him, according to Dawson, and Oliver hit his head. New coach Jack Lengyel, Marshall University students, and Thundering Herd football fans convinced acting Marshall president, Donald N. Dedmon, to reconsider cancelling the program in late 1970. William Alfred "Red" Dawson was one of the best players Bobby Bowden ever saw. "He wasn't a real big guy, but I don't know how many ballcarriers he hit and knocked them back in the direction they came from," Beamer said. Coach, 1971 Young Thundering Herd, Al Carelli, Jr., Assistant coach, 1970 MU Football team, Allen Gene Skeens, #59,1970 MU Football team, Barry W. Nash, #35, 1970 MU Football team, Bobby Joe Hill, #41, 1970 MU Football team, Center Dennis Foley (#55) centers ball to Bob Harris (#12),1970 MU Football team, Charles A. [21], November 14, 2013, marked the first time that Marshall had played a road game on an anniversary of the disaster. The team finished the 1971 season with a 2-8 record, but just winning a single game was a miracle after what Marshall went through a season prior. Page of 4. That included 37 Marshall football players, 25 team boosters, multiple coaches and team doctors, and Marshalls athletic director. Yolanda Shoebridge, the mother ofTed Shoebridge, called the Harris home on Linden Street. It is based upon ideas by John and Ann Krieger of Huntington. Back in 1970, he had already attended a pair of Marshall games with Harris Sr. (Huntington, W.Va. is about a nine-hour drive from Passaic) and was approached to go down to see the Thundering Herd play East Carolina. "In my case, it became clear four years later. Unprepared, Dawson was named acting coach. 10:00 am ET. We Are Marshall.. A week later, he died at age 66 as a result of the injury. briefly mourned after the 17-14 defeat, but what happened after the game shook the school and the town to its core. The aircraft began its normal descent after passing the outer marker, but did not arrest its descent and hold altitude at 1,240ft (380m), as required by the assigned instrument approach procedure. CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) A bill has won final legislative approval in West Virginia that would establish an annual day of recognition for the worst sports disaster in U.S. history, a plane crash that killed most of Marshall University's football team. That is certainly what was going to happen.". Frank Loria was one of Beamer's best friends. My Account [1] The team played its home games at Fairfield Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia. Photos: 48th Annual Memorial Fountain Service 2018. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. The following offseason, Dawson went to a national coaching convention. I knew as soon as I saw the police car. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. longitude." Slezak went to visit Marshall in 2011, saying it was on his bucket list. It was impossible for the remaining Marshall players to forget about their fallen teammates, but they had to when the 1971 season approached. The two played in the same defensive backfield for Virginia Tech in the late 1960s. Harris died in the 1970 plane crash. They met once a year, Red Dawson and the sycamore tree he picked out that was large enough to hide behind. ", "I just generally felt we lost a great Hokie that day," Beamer said. [22], On Nov. 14, 1970, 75 people died in the worst sports-related air tragedy in U.S. history, when a Southern Airways DC-9 crashed into a hillside nearby.The victims included 36 Marshall University football players, 9 coaches and administrators, 25 fans and air crew of 5.No one survived this horrific disaster.[1]. Kenova native and Grammy-award winner Michael W. Smith opened the ceremony by singing Amazing Grace. He told the audience that he was 13 when the plane crashed eight minutes from his house. Without an official designation, she has become the best historian of the events of 50 years ago. (function() { In 2006, Hollywood turned that inspiring slogan into one of the greatest sports movies ever made. Gone were sons, fathers, mothers, classmates and fraternity brothers. [7]:37, On November 15, 1970, a memorial service was held at the indoor, 8,500-seat Veterans Memorial Fieldhouse with moments of silence, remembrances, and prayers. history". Marshall fans and residents of Huntington, W.V. Seventy children had at least one parent die in the crash, with 18 of them left orphaned. > This is believed to be a duplicate of the plane that crashed Nov. 14, 1970 carrying MU football team. No one prepared her for what was next. ", "This was a city, the largest in the state, that literally went into a four-day state of shock," Brunner said. Before the noon ET game, a crowd will gather at Spring Hill Cemetery once again to observe the past but also celebrate what they and the university have become. The corresponding flight recorder shows that the craft descended another 220ft (67m) in elevation within these 12 seconds, and the co-pilot calls out "four hundred" and agrees with the pilot they are on the correct "approach." He went to work one day and didn't come home.". "Just a very smart guy. I try to think about all the good times and the memories we made, Slezak said. . White roses were laid by the fountain as each victims name was read at the ceremony. "That's something I've never been able to get over because it was so wrong.". The 1970 Marshall Thundering Herd football team was an American football team that represented Marshall University as an independent during the 1970 NCAA University Division football season. The 1970 Marshall Thundering Herd football team was an American football team that represented Marshall University as an independent during the 1970 NCAA University Division football season. "The town immediately went into mourning. Scott Jenkins. "It was horrible because it was a non-ending funeral. The bronze 1723 ft (57 m) statue was created by artist Burl Jones of Sissonville, West Virginia, and cost $150,000. As a memorial to the 75 victims, the Marshall players wore the number 75 on their helmets. Marshall football plane crash was 50 years ago, but victim's friend can't forget that day. "I'm sure you can pretty much figure that one out," said Mary Jane Tolley, wife of head coach Rick Tolley, who died in the crash. It was the worst single air tragedy in NCAA sports history. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash.