1970 wichita state football roster

Wichita State football players arrive at their Little Rock, Ark., hotel on Oct. 23, 1970, exactly three weeks after the plane crash that killed 14 teammates and 17 others. Utah. 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. The university had a contract with Golden Eagle Aviation to provide a Douglas DC-6B to transport the team to away games. Looking back on it, we probably expected the coaches to do way too much, Rhatigan said. The National Transportation Safety Board issued this executive summary, The Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the intentional operation of the aircraft over a mountain valley route at an altitude from which the aircraft could neither climb over the obstructing terrain ahead, nor execute a successful course reversal. 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. All Rights Reserved. In 1986, president Warren Armstrong said the football program lost $839,000. Wichita State University 1970 Football Team Airplane Crash Tragedy. [9], On November 14, Wichita lost to Memphis State by a 516 score. You really do. Mike Bruce, I hate like hell to fly. The Gold aircraft carried the starting players, head coach and athletic director. And thats only because I had to. Randy Jackson, You get used to sounds in the valley. Aboard the plane were the Marshall University football team, coaching staff and boosters. [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. Fairmount defeated Wichita High School, now known as Wichita East, by a score of 124 in the only game played that year. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. And for the next five minutes, players for both sides embraced, shook hands and talked about the football game.. [13] Hoheisel, who was described by coach Wilson in the preseason as "the heart and soul of our defense",[13] was selected as the team captain. Could have been on Rusty Featherstone's list. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. Do you have a sports website? The team's statistical leaders included Rick Baehr with 513 passing yards, Don Gilley with 290 rushing yards and 12 points scored, Bill Moore with 175 receiving yards. [11], In the final game of the season, the Shockers took a 170 lead over Lee Corso's bowl-bound Louisville Cardinals. [2], 1970 NCAA University Division football season, 1970 Missouri Valley Conference football standings, Wichita State University football team plane crash. of the survivors to Denver. Members of the 1970 Wichita State and Arkansas teams will have a reunion at War Memorial Stadium this weekend for the Alcorn State game. Coach Bob Seaman Wichita States offensive coordinator took over as coach, a job he held until 1973, when athletic director Ted Bredehoft fired him. [10], On November 21, the Shockers lost to North Texas State by a 4124 score. [2], The team included 22 returning lettermen led by junior quarterback Bob Renner, senior fullback Randy Jackson, and middle linebacker John Hoheisel. Many of us are familiar with the Marshall University story from the 2006 movie We Are Marshall.. A: The Wichita Eagle archives many stories and pictures from its coverage at www.kansas.com/sports/college/wichita-state/. According to history.com, on the plane were 37 football players, head coach Rick Tolley, team doctors, the university athletic director and 25 football boosters from the Huntington, W.Va. community. All logos are the trademark & property of their owners and not Sports Reference LLC. [8], On November 7, the Shockers showed marked improvement in a 2112 loss to Tulsa. It crashed around 1 p.m. about 40 miles west of Denver on Mount Trelease. Bob Seaman took over as head coach after the crash. It was shown that $24 million in improvements were needed. All-Conference Center Is Among Dead in Football Plane Crash", "Former Buster Gene Robinson: Fund Established For Crash Victim", ESPN Classic Wichita State suffers tragic plane crash, "Remembering the 1970 Wichita State football plane crash", "Plane Crash Survivor Calls It 'A Miracle', "Survivor recalls horror of crash that killed team", "Fresh Start at Wichita: Rarely Mention 'Crash', "Surviving Oct 2nd: Remembering the Fallen with Rick Stephens", "Wichita, Marshall Aircraft Disasters Not Similar", "Wichita State Will Open 'Second Season' Saturday", "Competition Best Therapy For Saddened Shockers", "61 Hogs Play: Arkansas Fans Cheer Wichita", "Black & Gold: Remembering The WSU Plane Carsh", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1970_Wichita_State_Shockers_football_team&oldid=1134674669, Marvin Brown, sophomore, running back, Solomon, Kansas - age 18, John Dunren, sophomore, quarterback, Oklahoma City - age 19, Ron Johnson, senior, defensive back, Kansas City, Missouri - age 21, Randy Kieusau, junior, running back, Clinton, Oklahoma - age 20, Carl Krueger, sophomore, tackle, Chicago - age 19, Steve Moore, senior, linebacker, Derby, Kansas - age 21, Tom Shedden, junior, tackle, Oklahoma City - age 20, Rick Stines, guard, Kansas City, Kansas - age 19, John Taylor, back, Sherman, Texas - died later in the month from injuries sustained in the crash, Jack Vetter Jr., senior, lineman, McPherson, Kansas - age 22, Mike Bruce, tight end/offensive tackle, Sherman, Texas - He later recalled: "When we climbed out of the plane, I could tell I was in about the best condition. List of Wichita . Pennsylvania had a connection to the Marshall tragedy No. 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. Head coach Ben Wilson, 14 players, and 16 others died on October 2 in the Wichita State University football team plane crash. More Local News to Love Start today for 50% off Expires 3/6/23. According to several newspaper accounts, the. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Learn more and register, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. Valley Conference. It was - and still is - the largest shutout victory for Arkansas since 1947. with Utah State University. Marshall lost, 17-14. We need your support. They met Wichita coming the other way. 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. Thirty-one people died as a result of the crash: 14 players, 14 WSU staff and boosters, and three crew members. Former T. C. Williams High School football coach Herman Boone, who was portrayed by Denzel Washington in the film Remember the Titans, compared Jeffriess hiring to that of Jackie Robinson signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers. (AP Photo/Randy Snyder)AP. Loria was a former teammate of Beamer. Subject: Wichita (Kan.) -- Pictorial works. 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. [15], In 1997, the cost was cited at $11 million to restart the football program and three other women's sports. Mike Kennedy remembers when the paper bearing the Associated Press bulletin came over the wire in the KMUW radio newsroom on that October day in 1970. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. (AP Photo/Henry Griffin)AP. 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. 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. Every year on Oct. 2, Wichita State University remembers the victims of the 1970 plane crash in Colorado, a tragedy that took the lives of 31 people on the trip to a football game in Utah the next day. The team compiled a 0-9 record , finished last out of five teams in the MVC, and was outscored by a total of 381 to 99. It wasnt a great team to begin with. Join our linker program. really had to, essentially, trust myself. 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.". Be sure to enjoy VIP access to Hawgs247 with our Buy 1 Month, Get 2 additional Months FREE promotional offer. (AP Photo)AP. The NTSB also cited the overloaded condition of the plane and a virtual absence of planning by the flight crew. Understanding the 1970 Wichita State football plane crash. Trailing 216 in the fourth quarter, Wichita's freshman quarterback Tom Owen threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to wingback Tim Thissen to narrow the score to 2112. The football players decided to continue the season, which was later designated as . KMUW, 89.1-FM, will broadcast The Pieces that Remain: Remembering the WSU Plane Crash, at 5 p.m. Friday. The highlight of the game for Wichita was a 105-yard kickoff return by tailback Don Gilley in the first quarter. [1] The team played its home games at Cessna Stadium in Wichita, Kansas. Date Original: Circa 1970. Arkansas' fans refrained from calling the Hogs as they supported the Shockers.