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. of the survivors to Denver. Wichita State cancelled its games against Utah State (Oct. 3) and Southern Illinois (Oct. 10) and moved its game against Cincinnati from Oct. 17 to Oct. 31. The stories of the people affected by the crash and its aftermath serve as a tribute to all - teammates, friends and family. We do not have detailed roster information for this By the numbers. I headed down the mountain to get help and a pickup came and took me up to a construction site where we called for help.". and returned to Wichita by commercial plane Saturday. Twenty-nine died at the scene. The game with Utah State was cancelled. When the clock ticked off the final second, the Razorbacks exploded to midfield, Thompson wrote. 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. I feel badly that we were even flying the team that day. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. Some school's results have been altered by retroactive NCAA penalties. 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. Its almost like another memorial to them, with all of that still up there, teammate Ed Plopa said. 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. The pilots of the Gold plane changed their flight plan, deciding to give their passengers a scenic view of the Rocky Mountains. Q: Why did Wichita State resume its season? 1970 Wichita State Shockers Roster | College Football at Sports-Reference.com via Sports Logos.net About logos 1970 Wichita State Shockers Roster Previous Year Next Year Record: 0-9 (123rd of 123) ( Schedule & Results ) Conference: MVC Conference Record: 0-4 Coach: Ben Wilson (0-9) Points For: 99 Points/G: 11.0 (116th of 123) Points Against: 381 1990 Roster # Player Position Birthday Hometown High School Height Weight; 1: . A: The Wichita Eagle archives many stories and pictures from its coverage at www.kansas.com/sports/college/wichita-state/. 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. [36] At the end of the season, a nationally televised fundraising program hosted by Monty Hall was aired to raise money for the victims of the two crashes. The visiting Shockers fumbled the football an incredible 17 times, with the Seminoles recovering 10 times. Wichita State did not play Arkansas again until 1980, when the Razorbacks won 27-7 in Fayetteville. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. John Duren, 19, Oklahoma City, Okla., Sophomore TE, Randy Kiesau, 20, Clinton, Okla., Junior CB, Mal Kimmel, 21, St. Genevieve, Mo., Senior C, Carl Krueger, 19, Chicago, Ill., Sophomore DE, Tom Owen, 20, Temple Terrace, Fla., Junior RB, Gene Robinson, 21, Dayton, Ohio, Junior TE, Tom Shedden, 20, Oklahoma City, Okla., Junior OT, Richard Stines, 19, Kansas City, Kan., Sophomore G, Jack Vetter, 21, McPherson, Kan., Senior DT, Bert Katzenmeyer, 52, Elwood City, Penn., Athletic Director, Ray Coleman, 45, Wichita, Kan., Shocker Club Chairman, Minority Owned Businesses & Cultural Opportunities in the AAC, Wichita State Crash Survivor Relives Details, Crash site an important memorial for 'Gold Plane' family, Triumph and tragedy: Scotties grad Barkell starred at Wichita State, recalls plane crash, Forgotten tragedy: Survivors' quest to keep memories of 1970 Wichita State crash from fading, Daughter of WSU plane crash victim never knew her 'Da-da', 1990: Those left behind mourned and built new lives, Three generations later, the secrets of Wichita State's devastating plane crash are still unfolding, Wichita State plane crash killing 31 in 1970 revisited Saturday, Youve got to go on: Children of Wichita State crash victims share a 50-year bond, Wichita State marks anniversary of 1970 football team plane crash - Wichita Eagle, Overshadowed: The Wichita State Football Crash, Black & Gold: Remembering the WSU Plane Crash, Surviving Oct. 2nd: Remembering the Fallen with Rick Stephens, 'Gold Plane' & Silver Plume: the Wichita State Plane Crash Revisited, A Look at the WSU Plane Crash's Aftermath, Crash Site an Important Memorial for 'Gold Plane' Family, Former Utah State player still feels linked to Shockers, Shocker Summer: 1970 healing process began on a Saturday night in Little Rock, Shockers forever: Area graduates were part of Wichita State program when plane crash killed 31 in 1970, Greg Hansen: Remembering the Wichita State plane crash, 50 years later, The Valley of No Return: The Story of the Wichita State University Football Team Plane Crash, Wichita State University Football Team Airplane Crash Collection. The crash claimed the lives of 31 members of the Wichita State University football team. [1] The team played its home games at Cessna Stadium in Wichita, Kansas. I headed down the mountain to get help and a pickup came and took me up to a construction site where we called for help. Wichita State player Mike Bruce, If the crew had been concerned about the aircrafts ability to clear the terrain ahead less than one minute sooner, when the aircraft was 1 1/2 to 2 miles east of Dry Gulch, a successful turnaround could have been executed. Not a subscriber yet? [8], On November 7, the Shockers showed marked improvement in a 2112 loss to Tulsa. The starters played only 18 snaps, long enough to build a 20-0 lead. John Hoheisel, linebacker and team captain. [13] On May 16, 2009 the Wichita State University alumni association held an all football players reunion at Cessna Stadium. List of Wichita . [10] The game was canceled, and the Utah State football team held a memorial service at the stadium where the game was to have been played. WSU lost to. On October 2, 1970, airplane carrying Wichita State University football team crashed in Colorado Rocky Mountains killing 31 team members, supporters, coaches and airline personnel. The Gold aircraft carried the starting players, head coach and athletic director. Two planes carrying Wichita State University football players, coaches, administrators and fans refueled on Oct. 2, 1970, in Denver. Matthew McConaughey stars as new head football coach Jack Lengyel who was brought in to rebuild the team. The football players decided to continue the season, which was later designated as Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:03AM. In one of the worst tragedies of college sports history, a plane carrying WSU football players, athletic staff members and team boosters crashed at approximately 3 p.m. on a mountain near Silver Plume, Colorado while en route to Logan, Utah for a game with Utah State University. The team was known as Fairmount from its first season in 1897 to 1925 and Wichita from 1926 through 1963. A: On Nov. 14, 1970, a plane carrying Marshalls football team back crashed near the airport in Huntington, W.V., killing 75 people. Homecomings are exciting times, Father, whether it be a homecoming with you when the game of life is over or whether it be a grand homecoming with this tremendous crowd today at Wichita State University. Join us for a March Madness Webinar on Tuesday, March 7 at 8pm ET. Taylor,. Facing an Arkansas team ranked No. As a former starter, he asked to move to sit with his friends. We acknowledge you as a real and important part of both. (AP Photo)ASSOCIATED PRESS. (AP Photo)AP. 1 Houston, How Wichita State basketball coach Billy Kennedy hasnt let Parkinsons slow him down, While others shy away, Wichita States Craig Porter sees opportunity in the mid-range, Who I do it for: WSUs Jaron Pierre puts on a show for family in New Orleans homecoming. 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. Summarize this article for a 10 years old. This is an opportunity to put the events in the publics mind, Stephens said in 2014. Head coach Ben Wilson, 14 players, and 16 others died on October 2 in the Wichita State University football team plane crash. Looking back on it, we probably expected the coaches to do way too much, Rhatigan said. The chartered Southern Airways DC-9 was returning from a game the team played earlier in the day against East Carolina University in North Carolina. Hey, theyre cheering for us, commented a Wichita footballer as the red wave of Razorback fans cheered the Wheatshockers onto the field. The pilots of the doomed aircraft were blamed for the accident by the National Transportation Safety Board. Twenty-nine persons died Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Instead of hanging around campus, the two traveled to Naputano's hometown of Altoona, Pa., with Withers making a detour to visit his maternal grandparents who lived in nearby Johnstown.. We present them here for purely educational purposes. On Oct. 2, 1970, two airplanes, dubbed Gold and Black for the colors of Wichita State University, were carrying players, boosters, coaches and others to Utah for a football game against Utah State. We have tools and resources that can help you use sports data. (AP file photo) This Oct. 2, 1970, file photo shows wreckage of a plane that carried members of the Wichita State University football team, in Silver Plume, Colo. Rusted and ragged pieces of . The event was organized by former Wichita State player John Potts and former Arkansas player Chuck Dicus, according to The Wichita Eagle. on a mountain near Silver Plume, Colorado while en route to Logan, Utah for a game On December 25, 1905, Fairmount played a game against the Washburn Ichabods using a set of experimental rules. [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]. 2022-23 Men's Basketball Roster - Wichita State Athletics Skip To Main Content Pause All Rotators Skip To Main Content Wichita State Athletics Main Navigation Menu Menu Sports Baseball Basketball (M) Basketball (W) Cross Country Golf (M) Golf (W) Softball Tennis (M) Tennis (W) Track & Field Volleyball Tickets SHOCKER TICKET OFFICE ON THE MORNING of Oct. 2, 1970, 21-year-old Malory W. Kimmel drove away from Wichita State University's Jardine Hall, heading for the Field House nearby. A: On Nov. 14, 1970, a plane carrying Marshall's football team back crashed near the airport in Huntington, W.V., killing 75 people. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Wichita State has helped me put marketing strategy in a real-world perspective. Preview pages of the 1970 yearbook from West High School from Wichita, Kansas online. service was held Monday evening at Cessna Stadium. Wichita State University 2023. But, the DC-6 was damaged so the aviation company opted to use two Martin 4-0-4 aircraft. It wasnt a great team to begin with. with Utah State University. [12], On December 2, 1986, Wichita State President Warren Armstrong announced that the university would no longer sponsor football due to the financial strain the program placed on the university. The team compiled a 09 record (04 against conference opponents), finished last out of five teams in the MVC, and was outscored by a total of 381 to 99. The NTSB estimated the plane exceeded its takeoff weight limitation by around 5,165 pounds. Of the 31 people killed, 14 were Wichita State football players. The brief ceremony honors WSU football players, administrators The Shockers have won five Missouri Valley Conference football championships.