Thundering Herd football avoids the proverbial ax

       After the plane crash, there was some uncertainty about the future of football at Marshall University. There was rumbling among some faculty members who wanted the school to kick football to the curve.

       The remaining assistant coaches who were not on the fatal flight – Red Dawson, Carl Kokor and Mickey Jackson – didn’t know if there would even be another football season at MU. As things turned out, though, there was never enough support among the anti-gridiron faction that would result in the plug being pulled on Thundering Herd football.

       The “powers that be” never wavered in their desire to continue the program – even if it meant starting from next to zilch. Marshall’s leadership demonstrated their commitment with the hiring of the new athletics director.

       Joe McMullen took the reigns as the new AD less than three months after the tragedy. Hiring McMullen sealed the deal for Herd football. That’s because McMullen was a football guy through and through. Prior to becoming an AD, he had head coaching stints at the University of Akron (Ohio) and San Jose State. Aside from that, he spent a few years as an assistant coach under Joe Paterno, who was in the beginning stages of his legendary career at Penn State.

       While it didn’t take long for Marshall to hire a new athletics director, securing the services of a new coach was another matter entirely.

       McMullen moved swiftly in the hiring process, but hit a few snags along the way. The top candidate, Bob Phillips (Penn State assistant) said no thanks to Marshall’s job offer. About two weeks later, Dick Bestwick, the freshman coach at Georgia Tech, got the nod, but later reneged. Bestwick cited family reasons for his shocking change of heart.

       Another three weeks would pass before McMullen finally got his man – Jack Lengyel – who just happened to be one of McMullen’s former players from the time he coached at Akron. Lengyel was the head coach at Wooster College (Ohio) prior to his coming to Marshall.

     

Book signing set for Homecoming Day at Marshall

The story about the 1970 Marshall plane crash is well-known and well-documented. However, there’s so much more to the story, and it’s never been told … until now.

November Ever After, a memoir written by Craig T. Greenlee, takes an up-close and personal look at the tragedy and its aftermath as seen through the eyes of those who were left behind.

Greenlee, a former Thundering Herd defensive back, will return to his alma mater in Huntington, West Virginia to conduct his first book signing on October 15 – Marshall’s Homecoming Day. The session, set for 10 a.m.-2 p.m., will be held on campus at the Marshall University Bookstore, which is housed inside the Memorial Student Center.

There are a number of facts about the Marshall story that have been curiously left out in other media portrayals of the air disaster. For example:

• Ed Carter, a former MU offensive lineman who missed the fatal trip, started an evangelical ministry as a result of him not being on that plane. Ed’s global ministry is still going strong today.
• Dickie Carter (no relation to Ed) was a star running back who quit the team a few weeks before the crash. He’s been forgotten about; some might say that he’s been deliberately overlooked. For the first time, Dickie opens up and speaks his peace.
• The plane crash more than likely averted what could have been a full-scale race riot on Marshall’s campus.

“Most people are amazed by what they discover from the movie and the documentaries about the Marshall tragedy,” said Greenlee. “As amazed as they are, they don’t realize that what they’ve learned is only the tip of the iceberg. The movie We Are Marshall is fine, but it’s only an appetizer. November Ever After represents the full-course meal.”

Greenlee, a Marshall University graduate, is a free-lance writer who has more than 30 years experience as a sports journalist. He is a former sports editor for UPSCALE Magazine and was a frequent contributor to Black Issues in Higher Education (now known as DIVERSE Issues in Higher Education).

Quick facts about book – November Ever After $12.95 (paperback), $9.99 (e-book), 6 x 9, 168 pages. ISBN 978-1-46200-404-1 (paperback), ISBN 978-1-46200-403-4 (e-book). Available at online booksellers including Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com, iUniverse, Books A Million, Kobo, Powell’s Books and Diesel eBook Store.

Writer considered using movie title for his book

        The process of deciding on a title for my memoir proved to be a lot more difficult than I ever imagined. The book’s manuscript was half-way finished by the time I came up with the eventual title November Ever After.

       But even after coming up with that title, I still wasn’t sure if it was the best way to go. For months, I just couldn’t come to a final decision. I seriously considered using the movie We Are Marshall as part of my title for the book.

       Why? The movie was well known, even among those who know little or nothing about Marshall University or the plane crash. Because of the movie’s notoriety, including the name of the movie for my book would be a clever play on words. In my mind, including the movie title would give my book some immediate name recognition.

        In order for this to work, I needed to come up with the right play on words. There was a need to decide on a title that would make it easy for readers to make a distinction between the movie and my memoir.

       I thought about naming the book We Are Marshall II, but that was not quite the right fit. That title would make the book sound more like a sequel to the movie, which it is not. But then, I finally came up with what I felt was the right revision for a book title – We Are Marshall Too.

       This new title was a far more accurate description of what the memoir is all about.

       How so?

       People who saw the movie got a good feel for the night of the plane crash and the events that followed. But what they missed out on were the perspectives of other folks who were on the scene at that time. These were the people whose voices have never been included in any of the previously produced media portrayals about the MU tragedy.

       The memoir is full of gripping stories involving Marshall’s black football players and the black students who were left behind in the wake of the disaster. There are so many facets to this story that have never been revealed. One example:  The nasty racial altercation that occurred on the day before the crash and the calming effect the crash had on black-white relations on the Marshall campus.

       There’s also the Homegoing Caravan. Marshall’s black students chartered a bus to attend a wake and three funerals for seven of the ten black players who died in the crash.

        Back then, blacks comprised a small (about three percent), but visible and vocal minority on a campus of 9,000. The black-student perspectives on November 14, 1970 and its aftermath are just as valid and have just as much value as any media project about the Marshall crash. There are a lot of other examples, but I won’t go into those at this juncture.

       The movie We Are Marshall put the story about the crash on a national stage. The black-student point view, however, cannot and should not be overlooked.

       That’s why I could have named my book We Are Marshall Too.

       This variation of a play on words explains it all. Black students were there. Black students shared in the anguish and the turmoil. Now it’s our time to tell our story.

        Right now, you’re probably wondering why I chose to go with another title. That’s another blog entry for another time. Stay tuned.

      

Six months after crash, MU plays a football game

The Alumni defense tries to pressure Marshall quarterback David Walsh.

By Cathy Gibbs

       Editor’s Note: The ’71 Varsity-Alumni spring game marked the first time that Marshall was involved in a football game since the November tragedy that occurred six months earlier. As expected, a larger than usual crowd came to Fairfield Stadium to watch the new team. But there was more to it than that. Even as they observed, they felt the need to reminisce and hold fast to fond memories of the team that passed away. Cathy Gibbs penned the following commentary about that game for the Marshall U. yearbook. Gibbs was the co-managing editor for the Chief Justice for the 1970-71 school year.

        Kickoff …

       As the Green (Varsity) scrambled their way on the first drive, I asked God if we could ever get used to seeing strange names behind familiar numbers.

       Red flag on the play …

       A new Thundering Herd battling with long-time alums. The crowd roared with delight … their team was playing again.

       A fair catch for the Green. My mind wondered from play to play. Just how fair had Marshall been treated? So much athletic suffering from disgrace to death.

       Time out called …

       Time: Something none can control.

       A new president watched anxiously from the press box. He views a “new” Herd begin a new era of MU football.

       A strong alum drive …

       Will Marshall ever reach the point of strength it had prior to that November day?

       Mr. [Gene] Morehouse’s son ran an errand for me … a couple of young widows watched tensely from  the stands … it’ll have to get easier.

       Wait. Another Green interception. The crowd roars.

       A pile-up … incomplete pass … too many Green mistakes … must tighten up the offense more … another fair catch … as the quarter ends, the teams grow restless … so does the crowd.

       The Green outplayed the White to a fault. But still the mistakes were careless.

       The whole game continued as such … anticipation mingled with shock and delight. … the stadium is filled with memories, and good ones at that.

       Exactly six months and one day after … the Thundering Herd played again.

       P.S. In case you're wondering, the Varsity beat the Alumni 26-0. 

Forgotten memories resurface with uncanny clarity

By Bill Dodson

       EDITOR’S NOTE: The following entry comes from a former schoolmate. Bill Dodson reminded me about a part of the November Ever After saga that should have been included in the book, but wasn’t. Gotta “fess up.” I missed it and have no excuses. Let me take this opportunity to publicly thank Bill for bringing this up. As you read this entry, you’ll come to understand that it’s yet another example of how there’s so much more to the Marshall tragedy than even the people who were left behind ever realized. Seemingly-dormant memories aren’t really dormant. All it takes is the proper stimuli for those forgotten memories to resurface with an uncanny clarity. Dodson writes:

       I noticed in your recollection of the organizing of the caravan, there was no mention of (book author) Alex Haley attending our (MU black students) meeting at the “Bus Station” that was held a few nights after the plane crash. Gaylord Stewart, a junior from Charleston (West Virginia), told me that this man doing research on slavery was speaking at Old Main Auditorium.

Bill Dodson

       He and I went over to explain to Mr. Haley why the black students were not in attendance. Mr. Haley asked to come to the meeting with us. It was not until the Roots television series came out that we knew anything about this man. He had also written The Autobiography of Malcolm X, which was one of the most highly-acclaimed books of that time period.
       There’s also something else I remember about the days and weeks leading up to November 14, 1970. Ernie Wilson, a Philadelphia minister, came to the campus a couple weeks before the crash. He told me that another man, evangelist Ross Rhoads, was supposed to come instead. Rhoads had a scheduling conflict and asked Ernie to come in his place.

       At first, Ernie begged off but was troubled by it and later agreed to come. David Buchanan, a friend of mine who most people referred to as a “Jesus Freak,” told me about Wilson, who came across the campus like a “Pied Piper” with students following him to the Campus Christian Center. He gave his testimony about being a jazz musician and how he came to the Lord.

       When he gave the invitation to accept Christ, many (including me) came forward. I recall that several football players, which included Larry “Dupree” Sanders and Larry “the Gov” Brown, responded to the call. I believe the Lord opened a window for those brothers at that meeting! We will see them again!

       All these memories had escaped me until a couple of weeks after the crash when Ernie Wilson returned to Marshall. I ran into him and he was startled by the events. But it was in those weeks after the crash that my memory of his earlier visit was revived. My mother lived in Philadelphia and I asked him to look in on her and he did.

Bill Dodson is the executive director of the Dayspring Christian Community Development Corporation in Columbus, Ohio.

Readers share their insights about football memoir

       It’s been less than a month since the launch of the memoir November Ever After. And I’m elated that folks are showing immense interest. Some have already contacted me personally to share their thoughts about the book’s contents. Thought I’d take this opportunity to share with you what readers have shared with me. This is a story that has been overlooked for far too long. So now is the time that this story finally gets its proverbial “day in the sun.” Here’s what the people are saying:

"I am reading and remembering. I am eighteen again (1968) and it is a happy fun-filled time in life. And then November1970 came with such a traumatizing memory. I still remember every one of the African-American football players. Some of our conversations I have on a "freeze-frame" in my mind. Thanks, Craig for doing what God would have you to do...write it down in a way that no one else could.”

Murrial Jarrett

Atlanta, Georgia

“I think we all freeze-frame that time in our lives. We have moved on, but we still remember it like it was yesterday.”

Gina Starling Gunn

Nashville, Tennessee

“Just got the book in the mail. It's great (just skimmed through). Will have to get copies for friends! It’s a real treasure filling in the details of that dark period. We drew strength from one another. We are bound forever after and celebrate those who have gone on (from the night of November 14, 1970.)”

Bill Dodson

Columbus, Ohio

“I received my copies of your book last evening and it is good, sad and refreshing. I have already started to tell people about your book and will continue to do so.”

Horlin Carter

Greensboro, North Carolina

“Just finished reading your book last night. It was wonderful and I couldn't put it down until I was done. So many memories of the past 40 years. Thank you for sharing it with those of us who were actually there to experience it all.”

Carrie Poston

Dayton, Ohio

“Started reading this last night and I am hooked. I am already fascinated.”

Angela Dodson

Trenton, New Jersey

“Just finished reading your book last night. I have to say that it was incredibly enlightening and thought provoking! Needless to say that I'm still in the overall "processing" stage. However, I no longer feel like I walked into a movie that was halfway over. I now have insight as to what happened before I arrived on campus (1971), and I can put together the pieces a whole lot better. I can better appreciate what you, Janice (Cooley), Ed (Carter), et al were dealing with amid all of the hope and hype concerning The Young Thundering Herd! I regret that you and I never sat and talked when we attended school together. I'm sure that I would have been a more "aware" young man both socially, and spiritually than I was.”

Chuck Jackson

Houston, Texas

Heart-felt reflections about an unforgettable event