HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — Monday marked the 52nd anniversary of the Marshall University plane crash that claimed the lives of 75 football players, coaches, staff, supporters and flight crew members.
Marshall University Athletic Director Christian Spears said he, Marshall President Brad Smith and Marshall head football coach Charles Huff visited the Nov. 14, 1970 crash site before the Thundering Herd played Appalachian State on Saturday.
“We just spent some time there and tried to get a sense of what Brad remembers as a child having seen living in Kenova,” Spears said on Monday’s “580 Live” heard on MetroNews flagship station 580-WCHS in Charleston.
Remember and Reflect 💚#WeAreMarshall pic.twitter.com/cJNm39eBs0
— Marshall Athletics (@HerdZone) November 14, 2022
Spears said when recruiting new teammates, it’s important to teach them the meaning of being a son of Marshall.
“They do visit the site and they do explain why it’s so significant to wear the Marshall jersey,” he said.
During the last seven months Spears has been in his current position, he said he’s learned a lot about the impact the plane crash has had on college sports as a whole.
“We’ve all seen the movie, but people forget that the rules changed,” he said. “All freshman in the country are now able to play because of what happened at Marshall.”
Spears said it’s been an honor to hear stories from family members of those who died 52 years ago.
“It’s people who have real connections to it all. So many folks whose family members who perished on that flight who share stories with me about their family and the impact it had on the university,” Spears said.
Athletic Director Charlie Kautz was among those killed in the 1970 plane crash. Ed Starling stepped in as interim athletic director after the tragedy. Spears said it’s eye opening to learn how Starling got through those tough times.
“Imagine coming back to a university to try to lead as an athletic director without a football team without your administrative team and kind of hold it all together,” he said. “As an athletic director now here at Marshall, understanding what that person dealt with, what Ed was managing.”
Spears said despite the competition, it’s an honor to play Marshall during its 75 Game at Joan C. Edwards Stadium every year.
“Whoever gets to play Marshall in that game, they feel what we feel when they’re apart of that,” he said.
Marshall held its annual Memorial Fountain Ceremony in Huntington Monday afternoon to mark the anniversary.