Wichita State wore black jerseys, normally reserved for home games, for all six remaining games. The only time I ever have is in the (NFL). Text is available under a CC BY-SA 4.0 International License; additional terms may apply. A longtime P.E. [1] The team played its home games at Cessna Stadium in Wichita, Kansas. All Rights Reserved. Or write about sports? The two planes traveled to Denver, Colo., to refuel. I just knew he was going to be in trouble. Mary Lou Rutherford, witness, We just assumed thats the way it was when you fly in the mountains. This is an opportunity to put the events in the publics mind, Stephens said in 2014. Date Original: Circa 1970. We need your support. Pennsylvania had a connection to the Marshall tragedy No. However, the American has 11 football-playing schools, as Navy is an associate member for football only. The 1970 Wichita Shockers football team was an American football team that represented Wichita State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference during the 1970 NCAA University Division football season. of the survivors to Denver. The state of Kansas paid an out-of-court settlement of $1.56 million divided among the heirs of survivors and the eight players who survived, on the condition all lawsuits be dismissed. Remembering the 31 people who died on Oct. 2, 1970 through the archives of The Wichita Eagle: Photos of the team and the crash | The names of the victims, Those left behind mourned and built new lives | A beautiful fall day then an ominous sound | Pilot steadfast in denying fault: Someone needed to be blamed | The years drive a wedge between survivors linked by tragedy |, 1970 healing process began on a Saturday night in Little Rock | It is time to heal | Playing with pain, Marvin Brown was Solomons favorite son | Daughter grew up without her da-da | Complex connection for WSU survivors | Families never lose memories | Former Utah State player still feels linked to Shockers, Former WSU player Rick Stephens rides to remember friends who died | Photos: Crash survivor and friends honor victims in Colorado. [21], Wichita State won fourteen conference titles.[22]. Classes were cancelled Monday, October 5, and a memorial Each year, the university holds a ceremony on campus at the Memorial 70 monument. College Football at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. It crashed around 1 p.m. about 40 miles west of Denver on Mount Trelease. This story was originally published October 1, 2015, 12:36 PM. On Nov. 28, 1970, Levitt Arena hosted A Night of Stars benefit for the victims of the Wichita State and Marshall University plane crashes. The stadium is still used by the schools track and field, soccer, and lacrosse programs. A: The Gold plane carried the starters, coach Ben Wilson and athletic director Bert Katzenmeyer. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. Judy Dunn, 39, Oklahoma City, flight attendant, Judy Lane, 28, Oklahoma City, flight attendant, Oct. 31: Cincinnati 35, WSU 5 (moved from Oct. 17), Leading passer: Rick Baehr, 43 of 121, 514 yards, Leading receiver: Bill Moore, 12 for 175 yards, Honorable mention All-Missouri Valley Conference: C Kelly Cook, RB Don Gilley, DT Don Pankratz, LB George Whitfield, LB Bruce Gerleman. Wichita State's 2017 move to the American Athletic Conference leaves it as the only full member of the conference which does not play football. Lettermen from the 1970 FSU Football Handbook, page 41. . Dorothy Harmon She served as interim athletic director after the crash. According to Orville Henry's story in the following day's Arkansas Gazette, a crowd of 40,000 at War Memorial Stadium gave Wichita State's team - a 46-man roster with 19 freshmen and 20 sophomores - a minute-long standing ovation. This is a weekly feature at Hawgs247. As a matter of policy, Sports Reference only reports the results of games as played on the field. The Thomas A. Reeves Memorial Scholarship honors the Wichita State trainer who died in the crash. List of Wichita . Do you have a blog? Significant factors were the overloaded condition of the aircraft, the virtual absence of flight planning for the chosen route of flight from Denver to Logan, a lack of understanding on the part of the crew of the performance capabilities and limitations of the aircraft, and the lack of operational management to monitor and appropriately control the actions of the flight crew., Federal investigators take readings from the instrument panel of the DC-9 jet that crashed in Kenova, West Virginia, Nov. 15, 1970, killing all 75 occupants, including the Marshall University football team. All rights reserved. Id say Wichita State and they would say, Thats the school that had the plane crash, wasnt it? Id say, Yeah, it sure was. But nothing else, because I didnt want to talk about it. Dave Lewis, In almost every conversation, when people ask you where you went to school, they remember the crash and ask about it. High quality and affordable tuition make Wichita State a great value. A: The Black plane followed the original flight plan, north toward Laramie, Wyo., to gain altitude before crossing the Rockies. Prior to the game, a 15-minute ceremony featuring astronaut John Swigert was held to commemorate the team's return to Cessna Stadium for its first game since the crash. However, at that point on the flight path, the crew would have been unable to see that the valley ended at Loveland Pass, and thus they proceeded into an area from which an escape was not possible. NTSB report, I feel I did everything that I could have done in the situation. But, the DC-6 was damaged so the aviation company opted to use two Martin 4-0-4 aircraft. Please consider supporting our work. In one of the worst tragedies of college sports history, a plane carrying WSU football 31 people were killed. An Ohio State football fan who wants to better document the history of the program. It is also available at watch.kpts.org. The official 1970 Football Roster for the North Dakota State Bison We acknowledge you as a real and important part of both. It was the first night football game played west of the Mississippi River. [1] The team played its home games at Cessna Stadium in Wichita, Kansas. "[9] According to Nelson, Washburn completed three passes, and Fairmount completed two. Question, Comment, Feedback, or Correction? "[39] Assistant coach Bob Seaman took over as the team's head coach after the crash. In 2008, Howard Johnson, father of victim Ron Johnson, dedicated a stage musical called Waltzing in Heaven to the 1970 team in memory of his son. Steam floated off their sweat-drenched heads, and a holler could be heard for the water boy. A list of the 31 people killed in the Wichita State football plane crash on Oct. 2, 1970. A: The Wichita Eagle archives many stories and pictures from its coverage at www.kansas.com/sports/college/wichita-state/. AP. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. The NTSB said rain and poor visibility contributed to the . Without football, the Shockers' basketball program has become a powerhouse. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. On Friday, October 2, 1970, Wichita State traveled to Logan, Utah, in two chartered planes, designated as "Gold" and "Black" according to the school colors, for a game against Utah State. Randy Jackson, fullback, Atlanta, Texas - escaped through a hole in the fuselage; hospitalized in serious condition after the crash with deep lacerations on his face and multiple bruises; Glenn Kostal, linebacker, Chicago - dug his way out from under a pile of debris, dirt and tree limbs and crawled through a rip in the fuselage; sustained a broken leg, Dave Lewis, lineman, Duncan, Oklahoma - listed in satisfactory condition after the crash, Rick Baehr, led the team with 513 passing yards, Don Gilley, led the team with 290 rushing yards and 12 points scored, Bill Moore, led the team with 12 receptions and 175 receiving yards, This page was last edited on 19 January 2023, at 23:20. Out of that great loss came a strength that was given to each survivor, to each member of the athletic administration, she said. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. The "Gold" plane carrying the first-team players and staff crashed in Colorado's Loveland Pass. Facing an Arkansas team ranked No. Marvin Brown, 19, Solomon, sophomore tailback, Don Christian, 20, Duncan, Okla., junior defensive back, John Duren, 19, Oklahoma City, sophomore end, Ron Johnson, 21, Kansas City, Mo., senior safety, Randy Kiesau, 20, Clinton, Okla., junior defensive back, Mal Kimmel, 21, St. Genevieve, Mo., senior center, Carl Krueger, 19, Chicago, sophomore tackle, Steve Moore, 21, Derby, senior linebacker, Tom Owen, 20, Temple Terrace, Fla., junior running back, Gene Robinson, 21, Dayton, Ohio, junior end, Tom Shedden, 20, Oklahoma City, junior tackle, Richard Stines, 19, Kansas City, Kan., sophomore guard, John Taylor, 21, Sherman, Texas, senior cornerback, Jack Vetter, 21, McPherson, senior tackle. When the clock ticked off the final second, the Razorbacks exploded to midfield, Thompson wrote. 1969 Roster - By Number From the 1969 FSU Football Handbook, page 42. . "[7] The Los Angeles Times reported that there was much kicking and that the game was considered much safer than regular play, but that the new rule was not "conducive to the sport."[8]. Wichita State was playing its first game since head coach Ben Wilson, athletic director Bert Katzenmeyer, 14 players and 15 other people died in a plane crash on Oct. 2, 1970 en route to a. Register for free to see them all, or buy a printed copy of yearbooks from West High School from Wichita, Kansas today. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. We present them here for purely educational purposes. I think about them all the time. Bruce Gerleman, I have just felt bad about those other kids dying and me living. Wichita State did not play Arkansas again until 1980, when the Razorbacks won 27-7 in Fayetteville. school at this time. Were still all so close, and we do so much of that in their memory. Wichita State's game against Arkansas at War Memorial Stadium on Oct. 24, 1970 was one of those times. Description: . This week, we take a look back at Arkansas' game against Wichita State in 1970. The visiting Shockers fumbled the football an incredible 17 times, with the Seminoles recovering 10 times. Do you have a sports website? KPTS will show its 2009 documentary Black & Gold: Remembering the WSU Plane Crash at 8 p.m. Friday. [16], In 1998, an advisory committee at Wichita State recommended reinstating the football program at Wichita State after a 15-month study for $70,000. Join our linker program. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. [15] Thirty-one persons were killed in the crash, including the following 14 players:[16][17], The fatalities also included head coach Ben Wilson (and his wife Helen), athletic director Bert Katzenmeyer (and his wife Marian), team manager Marty Harrison (age 19), team trainer Tom Reeves, admissions director Carl Fahrbach, ticket manager Floyd Farmer, Shocker Club chairman Ray Coleman (and his wife Maxine), Kansas state representative Ray King (and his wife Yvonne), the plane's pilot Dan Crocker, and two stewardesses.[17][24]. The NTSB said rain and poor visibility contributed to the crash. The 1970 Wichita Shockers football team was an American football team that represented Wichita State University as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference during the 1970 NCAA University Division football season. They reached the Final Four in 2013 and finished the 2013-14 regular season with a perfect 31-0 record. 9 in the country, Wichita lost by a 620 score. Q: How can I learn more about the plane crash? Do you have a sports website? Naputano was one of four players who led the team onto the field in the spring of 1971 the others were Felix Jordan, Ed Carter and Nate Ruffin. The starters played only 18 snaps, long enough to build a 20-0 lead. It wasnt a great team to begin with. Only nine people - including eight players - survived. A marker on I-70 near the Eisenhower Tunnel is close to the crash site in Colorado. [40], On October 24, 1970, the team played the first game after the crash. WSU lost to. (What's happening with the Arkansas Razorbacks? Two planes carrying Wichita State University football players, coaches, administrators and fans refueled on Oct. 2, 1970, in Denver. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. teacher and coach at Robinson Middle School, he died in 2010 from pancreatic cancer. Information and quotes from this compilation gathered from stories published by The Wichita Eagle. The NCAA allowed WSU to play freshmen, who were ineligible at the time by NCAA rule. [2][3] They played their home games at Cessna Stadium and were members of the Missouri Valley Conference until the program was discontinued. Its just something you live with all the time. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. A: On Nov. 14, 1970, a plane carrying Marshalls football team back crashed near the airport in Huntington, W.V., killing 75 people. Wichita State University football players. President Clark Ahlberg and dean of students Jim Rhatigan The universitys leaders dealt with the crush of notifications, funerals and memorial services. The crash claimed the lives of 31 members of the Wichita State University football team.