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. [12] Lengyel led the Thundering Herd to a 933 record during his tenure, which ended after the 1974 season. This is not what you wanted to hear. After an uneventful flight, the crew contacted Huntington Airport tower at 7:23 p.m. and were cleared for a localizer approach on runway 11. His football will didn't come back quickly, but something has changed over the years. Marshall University honors the 75 lives lost in the 1970 plane crash tragedy during the 48th Annual Memorial Service on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018 . But as a freshman in 1970, Oliver didn't travel. "I asked her many, many times [why she urged him to stay] before she passed," Carter said. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. Shortly thereafter, he surrendered his life to Christ. They did care a lot about him. Artwork by Eugene Payne, Staff Artist, The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, N.C.". Defensive back. Copyright. Because of the intensity of the crash, officials were unable to identify six of the players remains. Spring Hill Cemetery, site of the Marshall Memorial for the 75 plane crash victims. It was a funeral that never stopped. "[7] The airliner left Stallings Field at Kinston, North Carolina, and the flight proceeded to Huntington without incident. The five Southern Airlines employees also died in the crash. "There are a ton of people out there still hurting and still in pain and still every day of their lives, as soon as their eyes open in the morning, that's the first thing they think about because their 18 year-old son was killed," Smith said. Her flight made it safely back to that same Tri-State Airport the Marshall plane never reached. His body was not identified and he is buried with five other unidentified players in the Springhill Cemetery. 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. 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. Marshall University, He makes sure the Herd have a home game. Lengyel, who came from a coaching job at the College of Wooster, was hired by the recently hired athletic director Joe McMullen, under whom he had previously worked at the University of Akron in the 1950s. Back then, Bowden was the wide receivers coach. > They couldn't see. "This was the first time dad was so proud that we were going [to fly] first class," 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. Cabell County Democratic Sen. Mike Woelfel said he was 17 years old driving in his car in Huntington when news of the crash came on the radio. Beamer had brought a special Hokie Stone inscribed with Loria's name. That's the unseen damage left a half century later after a Southern Airways DC- 9 carrying the Thundering Herd back from a game at East Carolina crashed into a hill a mile short of the Tri-State Airport in Huntington, West Virginia. It's more than that, of course. Marshall captured Division I-AA national championships in 1992 and 1996 and amassed the most wins of any team in the nation in the 1990s, many of them during a step up to Division I-A, now known as the Football Bowl Subdivision. "We stayed friends forever," Dawson said proudly. Lyndhurst's Tom Shoebridge, brother of crash victim Ted Shoebridge, and Elmwood Park's Keith Karl, a freshman on the 1970 Marshall team, join the show. Without an official designation, she has become the best historian of the events of 50 years ago. [10], The crash of Flight 932 so devastated the local community that it almost led to the discontinuation of Marshall's football program. Frank got the whole team out and they went up and placed that Hokie Stone on the memorial. We Are Marshall was the rallying cry for the Thundering Herds football program in 1970. "All of them were fighting and arguing over each other about whose fault it was. Among them were Dr. Ray Hagley, who was a Marshall team physician, and his wife. The bronze 1723 ft (57 m) statue was created by artist Burl Jones of Sissonville, West Virginia, and cost $150,000. 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." But for the university and the entire community, it left a huge void. We didn't have children, so she was like a child. [24], Marshall was scheduled to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the air disaster in their football season opener on August 29, 2020. "Straightforward, old time" is how Dawson described him. The pair were listening to country music when the bulletin came across that a plane had crashed in Huntington. He was also the offensive line coach. 10:00 am ET. David Debord, #76, 1970 MU Football team, b&w. If he had gone with Art Sr., would they have made the same mistake or would they have flown to the correct city? "As I listened to the scriptures," Carter said, "the Lord has purpose for each one of our lives.". At age 69, the former Marshall defender calls himself a "traveling preacher." That day nine years ago, "Frank Beamer became a very special person in my mind," Hamrick said. 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. "God has a time for each one of us," Carter said. I knew as soon as I saw the police car. Three-and-a-half years after the crash in 1974, Carter was working with Carl Hewlett, a former Marshall pitcher. His close friend and neighbor, Art Harris Jr., was one of the Marshall players who died. Not surprisingly, Call will be the keynote speaker at Saturday's memorial. Suddenly, then-Lucianne Kautz was without a father. "For years, it was just a total devastating thing," Call said. So were the religious types who were too numerous for their messages to get through. Tottenham Hotspur players observe a minutes silence for the victims of the plane crash involving the Brazilian club Chapecoense prior to the Premier. Wayne County Democratic Sen. Robert Plymale was 15 at the time and was with friends in Kenova, near the airport. Varsity Aces Live: Marshall Football Plane Crash 50th Anniversary. No one prepared her for what was next. His body was not identified and he is buried with five other unidentified players in the Springhill Cemetery. 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. 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. 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). Sort By. This time, they decided if all couldn't go, none of them could go. This is believed to be a duplicate of the plane that crashed Nov. 14, 1970 carrying MU football team. CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- 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 . "'The phrase is about respect, and it makes you realize you can't take anything for granted. Carter will be thinking about "thanking the Lord for his grace and mercy, watching over me and sparing my life." The aircraft was a 95-seat, twin-jet engine Douglas DC-9-30 with tail registration N97S. Authorities continually brought "old charred things" to her hoping to gain the identity of victims. section: | slug: they-are-marshall-50-years-after-the-plane-crash-those-closest-to-the-tragedy-are-still-healing | sport: collegefootball | route: article_single.us | Because it was the Herd's only charter flight of the season, boosters and prominent citizens were on the plane, including a city councilman, a state legislator, and four physicians. Plymale said 64 children lost one or both of their parents in the crash. "He had a great future in front of him. [21] The ceremony featured guest speakers Dawson and Hardin. There were 64 children who became orphans after losing one or both parents on the flight. 50 years, McConaughey said Saturday on Twitter. 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. 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. As part of an annual rite, the . Dawson was not on the plane when it crashed. Report: Big 12 in recent contact with Pac-12 schools, Rules committee proposes change to speed up games, Saban unhappy over proposed permanent rivals, USC coach Lincoln Riley builds the perfect QB. (JACK BURNETT/AP) Members of the current team also visited a nearby cemetery, where six players from the 1970 team whose bodies were never identified were buried. > He said, No, you keep your commitment, that is what you do, there will be other games, Slezak said. "You're not supposed to let people see you cry.". There was room for only a few of them on the plane to Kinston, North Carolina. Libraries Art Harris, #22, 1970 MU Football team, b&w. They met once a year, Red Dawson and the sycamore tree he picked out that was large enough to hide behind. God's providence? The airport was not properly equipped. The rebuilding of the football program was the subject of the 2006 movie We are Marshall starting Matthew McConaughey. 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 crash was the worst in American sports history. Rick played football at nearby Virginia Tech. She graduated from Marshall in 1971. "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. By JOHN RABY February 15, 2023. 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. But the town came back.. Officials sift through wreckage at the Marshall plane crash site, 1970. "The Young Herd" that carried on in 1971 had a new coach, Jack Lengyel. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He played Defensive end. Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information. Lives were shattered. var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; The victims included 36 Marshall University football players, 9 coaches and administrators, 25 fans and crew of 5. Four of the crash victims were students in her class, and Marshall faculty were sent to attend the funerals. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. It was impossible for the remaining Marshall players to forget about their fallen teammates, but they had to when the 1971 season approached. He has followed Marshall football all his lifeand makes a video tribute for his friend every year. I realized I had been wrong about that.". Red Dawson was admittedly bitter. Charlie Kautz had lived long enough to give away Lucianne at her wedding only five months earlier. | The official cause for the crash was either altimeter malfunction or pilot error. > 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. "The Lord has been good to me," he concluded. Loria had been a two-time All-American at Virginia Tech. Banners will be raised across the Marshall campus bearing their images. [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]. Charlie Kautz was Marshall's athletic director in 1970. Its still considered the worst air disaster in American sports history. FAQ They even won a couple of games. The report additionally notes, "Most of the fuselage was melted or reduced to a powder-like substance; however, several large pieces were scattered throughout the burned area. The NCAA made an exception for the Thundering Herd. Tolley's grave was moved up there a few years ago. 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. "You have to realize he had to tell several, several players' families, all the ones that he recruited. As a memorial to the 75 victims, the Marshall players wore the number 75 on their helmets. 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". The crash took the lives of everyone on board -- the pilot, the first officer, two flight attendants, the charter coordinator, 24 Marshall University football fans, nine coaches and 37 players. Among the losses were nearly the entire Marshall University football team, coaches, flight crew, numerous fans, and supporters. Home 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 the hillside nearby. "My wonder was, 'Why? (AP Photo/John Raby, File), Connect with the definitive source for global and local news, left behind six children who were being babysat. He and the sycamore have aged well. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. [4][9], The effects of the crash on Huntington went far beyond the Marshall campus. While in the air, the plane struck a tree on a tall hill and crashed to the ground. The team originally planned to cancel the flight, but changed plans and chartered the Southern Airways DC-9. On Saturday, 75 candles surrounded the fountain. Officials at the site of the Nov. 14, 1970, Marshall University plane crash at Tri-State Airport in Kenova, W.Va., secure a charred engine for removal to an airport hangar. Rick, he ran them off. The opponent was scheduled to be East Carolinathe same team that defeated Marshall before the disaster took place. But for the university and the entire community, it left a huge void. I told him, 'I'm afraid those guys are going to hate you because you're so hard on them.' 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. Page 1. "My mom got on the phone, and then she just passed out, said Carolyn Harris, the youngest daughter. White roses were laid by the fountain as each victims name was read at the ceremony. HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) Marshall University commemorated the 50th anniversary of one of the worst sports disasters in U.S. history Saturday, a plane crash that killed most of the football team. Dawson played tight end for Bill Peterson in the early 1960s at Florida State. [5] The accident is the deadliest tragedy to have affected any sports team in U.S. The crew established radio contact with air traffic controllers at 7:23 pm with instructions to descend to 5,000ft (1,500m). Al Carelli, Jr., Assistant coach, 1970 MU Football team, b&w. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: collegefootball | pageType: stories | Fr. Among those who were not on the Marshall plane were Red Dawson, an assistant coach who was driving on a recruiting trip and was heading home when he learned about the crash. "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. Officials at the site of the Nov. 14, 1970, Marshall University plane crash at Tri-State Airport in Kenova, W.Va., secure a charred engine for removal to an airport hangar. In the teams first home game since the plane crash, Marshall put together one of the most inspiring performances in sports history. It was real big-time negligence. An unfathomable 37 families were forced to mourn the death of their sons that fateful day. Harris died in the 1970 plane crash. The Marshall football team tragedy remains one of the saddest sports stories of all time. Marshall won just two games, and the first winning season didnt come for another 13 years. Kautz died in the 1970 plane crash. Fifty-two years ago, Huntington, West Virginia, was home to what has been called the worst disaster in United States sports history. On November 14, 1970 a DC-9 airliner carrying the Marshall University football team, coaches, and supporters crashed on final approach to Tri-State Airport n. "I got a call from our operations guy. The town died. "When the 14th of November comes around every year, all the worms and stuff start getting in your head," Dawson said. 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. The rebuilding was the subject of the 2006 movie We are Marshall starring Matthew McConaughey as Lengyel. Rick Tolley is behind him. They all had said great things about him. On November 14, Southern Airways Flight 932, which was chartered by the school to fly the Thundering Herd football team, coaches, and fans to Kinston, North Carolina for a game against the East Carolina Pirates and back to Huntington, crashed on approach to Tri-State Airport after clipping trees just west of the runway and impacting nose-first into a hollow. "It wasn't losing faith," she said. Her life had become unhinged. All Rights Reserved. After the plane crash, she became the only thing that I had.". Never defeated. On Nov. 14, 1970, the chartered jet crashed in fog and rain into a hillside upon approach to an airport near Huntington as the team was returning from a game at East Carolina, killing all 75 on board. _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); William Alfred "Red" Dawson was one of the best players Bobby Bowden ever saw. "At 21, you haven't been familiar with death. After a year as Wake Forest's defensive line coach, Tolley was hired at Marshall in 1969. He had to rent a car to get to the game,then asked if there were seats on the plane to get back to Marshall. Captain Frank H. Abbott, Jr. , aged 47, was employed by Southern Airways, Inc.. Marshall University Football Team Players: James Michael Adams, of Mansfield, Ohio - Guard, Mark Raeburn Andrews, of Cincinnati, Ohio - Offensive Guard, Mike Francis Blake, of Huntington, West Virginia - Linebacker, Dennis Michael Blevins, of Bluefield, West Virginia - Wide Receiver, Willie Bluford Jr., of Greenwood, South Carolina - Wide receiver, Larry Brown, of Atlanta, Georgia - Defensive Guard, Thomas Wayne Brown, of Richmond, Virginia - Defensive Guard, Roger Keith Childers, of St. Albana, West Virginia, Stuart Spence Cottrell, of Eustis, Florida - Defensive Back, Richard Lee Dardinger, of Mount Vernon, Ohio - Center, David Grant DeBord, of Quincy, Florida - Offensive Tackle, Kevin Francis Gilmore, of Harrison, New Jersey - Halfback, David Dearing Griffith, Jr, of Clarksville, Virginia - Defensive End, Arthur W. Harris, of Passaic, New Jersey - Halfback, Robert Anthony Harris, of Cincinnati, Ohio - Quarterback, Bob Wayne Hill, of Dallas, Texas - Defensive Back, Joe Lee Hood, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama - Halfback, James Thomas Howard Jr., of Milton, West Virginia - Offensive Guard, Marcelo H. Lajterman, of Lyndhurst, New Jersey - Kicking Specialist, Richard Adam Lech, of Columbus, Ohio - Defensive Back, Barry Winston Nash, of Accoville, West Virginia - Tight End, Patrick Jay Norrell, of Hartsdale, New York - Offensive Guard, James Robert Patterson, of Louisburg, North Carolina - Offensive Tackle, Scottie Lee Reese, of Waco, Texas - Defensive End, John Anton Repasy Jr., of Cincinnati, Ohio - Wide Reciever, Larry Sanders, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama - Defensive Back, Charles Alan "Al" Saylor, of Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio - Defensive End, Arthur Kirk Shannon, of Greensboro, North Carolina - Linebacker, Lionel Ted Shoebridge, of Lyndhurst, New Jersey - Quarterback, Allen Gene Skeens, of Ravenswood, West Virginia - Center, Jerry Dodson Stainback, of Newport News, Virginia - Linebacker, Donald Tackett, Jr., of Paden City, West Virginia, Robert James Van Horn, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama - Tackle, Roger Arnie Vanover, of Russell, Kentucky - Defensive End, Freddie Clay Wilson, of Tuscaloosa, Alabama - Tackle, John Patton Young, of Buckhannon, West Virginia - Tight End, Thomas Jonathan Zborill, of Richmond, Virginia - Defensive End, Charles Arnold, of Huntington, West Virginia, Rachel Lynette Arnold, of Huntington, West Virginia, Dr. Joseph Chambers, of Huntington, West Virginia - Local physician, Margaret Chambers, of Huntington, West Virginia, Dr. Ray Hagley, of Huntington, West Virginia - Local physician, Shirley Ann Hagley, of Huntington, West Virginia, Arthur L. Harris, of Passaic, New Jersey - Father of player Art Harris, E.O. The flight shouldve been nothing more than a formality, but the team would never reach their destination back in Huntington. Digital Collections Memorial newspaper page from The Herald-Advertiser. Virginia Tech's coach had a plan for the pregame. Two-and-a-half months ago, Dawson remarried. Printing is not supported at the primary Gallery Thumbnail page. Does FSU or any ACC power actually have options? Featured speakers were Chancellor Steve Ballard, Athletic Director Terry Holland, Pirates' broadcaster Jeff Charles, and Marshall president, Stephen Kopp. Its not an anniversary, but its a day to remember. "Couldn't keep the tears out of my eyes. Among the losses were nearly the entire Marshall University football team, coaches, flight crew, numerous fans, and supporters. The two played in the same defensive backfield for Virginia Tech in the late 1960s. A travesty.". Carter can't recall how a Marshall assistant found his film in the late 1960s. Accessibility Statement, Privacy Cemetery Visibility: Public. He returned to find a city, a university and a program in despair. [18], Each year on the anniversary of the crash, those who died are mourned in a ceremony on the Marshall University campus in Huntington, West Virginia. Dawson was retained by Tolley. 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. Among the 75 who perished were 36 players. "For a long time, he couldn't handle it," Call said. This plaza and this fountain are the heart of Marshall University, university President Jerome Gilbert said. Artwork by Eugene Payne, Staff Artist, The Charlotte Observer, Charlotte, N.C. Marshall decided to continue the football program. Eventually, Rick won over their hearts and minds. "It was losing faith in these ministers. [21], November 14, 2013, marked the first time that Marshall had played a road game on an anniversary of the disaster. Some who were left off the flight and did not make the trip or lost loved ones spent the next five decades with crippling questions that had no answers. "It was just a little school in the hills," Mary Jane said. Back rfeads: 1st MU practice Spring 1971, Coach Red Dawson. At that time, I thought I was a pretty bad-ass man.". Football made sense to him.". One year later, the unthinkable happened. They had met in Roanoke, Virginia, where she taught. Just like winter leads to spring, these bad memories now lead us to, I think, a day of celebration, Woelfel said. 75 members, coaches, and fans were killed in November 1970 plane crash. I don't think I believed it.. Dedication of Memorial Fountain to MU plane crash victims, Nov. 12, 1972. [11] Dawson was a coach from the previous staff who had driven back from the East Carolina game along with Gail Parker, a freshman coach. Dawson noticed him wiping his eyes. No one will ever know exactly how Harris Sr. ended up on the plane. The rest were pilots, crew, coaches, administrators, boosters and business leaders. 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. Normally in that situation, the cheerleaders would draw straws to see who went. If her husband was too hard-nosed or too tough, those notions were dispelled in the days after her world was turned upside down. Photos: 48th Annual Memorial Fountain Service 2018. The dog's name was Sturmisch. The weather conditions were poor, mist and light rain with broken clouds at 500 feet. All 75 people on board died. DeBord died in the 1970 plane crash. "Lord, the first time they asked me to speak at the anniversary, I was a mess," Dawson said. Seventy children had at least one parent die in the crash, with 18 of them left orphaned. Marshall decided to continue the football program. The decision had already been made regarding cheerleaders for that trip. Unprepared, Dawson was named acting coach. Mary Jane was persistent. He went recruiting. Memorial Fountain on the Marshall University campus, dedicated in 1972. One of Dawson's greatest contributions may have been the recruiting of four African-American athletes out of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Joe Hood, Larry Sanders, Robert Van Horn and Freddy Wilson had come from Druid High School. About 10 years ago at a reunion, Mary Jane glanced across the room. Before the trip, they were scheduled to go on a recruiting mission to Ferrum College after the ECUMarshall game, in an ultimately unsuccessful effort to recruit junior college linebacker Billy Joe Mantooth. [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. ", "This was a city, the largest in the state, that literally went into a four-day state of shock," Brunner said. The victims included 36 football players and 39 school administrators, coaches, fans, spouses and flight crew. On a rainy hill side in Wayne County, West Virginia, the lives of 75 people were lost in the worst single air tragedy in NCAA sports history. > He was an incredible all-around athlete. Dennis Foley was not on the plane, Bob Harris was killed in the plane crash. Saylor was killed in the plane crash. "I'm still wondering why.". ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? He was a defensive end for Marshall in 1970, and was on the chartered plane when it crashed at Tri-State Airport on November 14, 1970. After an 0-9-1 season and investigation that ended with Marshall being kicked out of the MAC, Moss was gone. This flight was the only flight that year for the Marshall University football team. Dawson came out of the shadows long ago to embrace Nov. 14. "Red," Call said recently, "where you going to be buried?". She traveled to Washington, D.C. for the hearings that were supposed to explain the crash. The movie details the tragic deaths of nearly the entire football program in 1970 and the rebuilding of a school and town all at once.