(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 . I FILE - In this Oct. 3, 1970, file photo, a charred Wichita State University football helmet is shown amid the wreckage of a plane that crashed in Silver Plume, Colo. Six weeks later, on Nov. 14, 1970, a plane carrying members of the Marshall football team crashed. Facing an Arkansas team ranked No. The NCAA allowed WSU to play freshmen, who were ineligible at the time by NCAA rule. 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. In his history of the sport of football, David M. Nelson concluded that "the first forward passes were thrown at the end of the 1905 season in a game between Fairmount and Washburn colleges in Kansas. So I went out back and here was this big plane flying up the canyon really low. | Opinion, Rare critter eluded Kansas biologists for years. Holly, NJ: Rancocas Valley Regional: . ABC televised the event with Monty Hall as host. The two planes traveled to Denver, Colo., to refuel. Skipper. Head coach Ben Wilson, 14 players, and 16 others died on October 2 in the Wichita State University football team plane crash. service was held Monday evening at Cessna Stadium. I feel badly that it happened, of course. Q: How did the Black plane reach Utah safely? The university had a contract with Golden Eagle Aviation to provide a Douglas DC-6B to transport the team to away games. 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. Tolley was Marshall's head football coach when the team's plane crashed in 1970 killing all 75 people aboard. A: The Black plane followed the original flight plan, north toward Laramie, Wyo., to gain altitude before crossing the Rockies. We present them here for purely educational purposes. 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.. 1990 Roster # Player Position Birthday Hometown High School Height Weight; 1: . 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. I feel badly that we were even flying the team that day. The Wichita State Shockers football team was the college football program of Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. Do you have a sports website? Radio voice Gus Grebe was supposed to ride on the Gold plane, but was late arriving and flew on the Black plane. Orville Henry of the Arkansas Gazette wrote that WSU entered the stadium in a single-file line to a minute-long standing ovation from the crowd of 40,000. Wichita Falls Coyotes State Champions: 1941 1949 1950 1958 1961 1969 1961 Schedule Record: 10-0-0 Head Coach: Joe Golding Vs Common Opponents (See All) Click on teams to see side-by-side scores. 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. Fairmount defeated Wichita High School, now known as Wichita East, by a score of 124 in the only game played that year. [10], On November 21, the Shockers lost to North Texas State by a 4124 score. The plane crashed on Mount Trelease, west of Denver in the Arapaho National Forest. Some school's results have been altered by retroactive NCAA penalties. [11], When Willie Jeffries became Wichita States head coach in 1979, he became the first African-American head coach of a Division I-A football program. Understanding the 1970 Wichita State football plane crash. Few times has a home crowd openly cheered for the visitors. A fireman looks over the wreckage of a DC-9 jet that was carrying the Marshall University football team in Kenova, W.Va., on Nov. 15, 1970. It was the first night football game played west of the Mississippi River. Many of us are familiar with the Marshall University story from the 2006 movie We Are Marshall.. The team was headed to Logan, Utah, for a game the next day against Utah State. Its almost like another memorial to them, with all of that still up there, teammate Ed Plopa said. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. Quality local journalism has never been more important. (What's happening with the Arkansas Razorbacks? [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. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. The Shockers started seven freshmen and 10 sophomores and scored five points on a 37-yard field goal by John Potts and a safety when Cincinnati quarterback Bill Carter was tackled in the end zone. 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. Be sure to enjoy VIP access to Hawgs247 with our Buy 1 Month, Get 2 additional Months FREE promotional offer. Cheers in this stadium have turned to tears and back again to cheers and all are a part of life.. Senior center Hayden Gillum became the first to make the leap, announcing Friday on social media that he will be back for the . 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. [1] The team played its home games at Cessna Stadium in Wichita, Kansas. Florida State and Wichita State wallowed around in the slop looking for the football. The SPORTS REFERENCE and STATHEAD trademarks are owned exclusively by Sports Reference LLC. Sports Reference Baseball; Football; Basketball; Hockey; Calcio; Blog; Stathead . Head coach Ben Wilson, 14 players, and 16 others died on October 2 in the Wichita State University football team plane crash. A: Nine days after the crash, the players voted 76-1 to start what became known as the Second Season. The players said returning to practice gave them a sense of comfort and allowed them to honor their teammates. The main thing is that people take a few minutes to remember. Find out the latest on your favorite NCAAB players on . A plane carrying the Wichita State University football team had crashed. Harmon, the first female member of the Shocker Sports Hall of Fame, worked as executive secretary, fieldhouse director, academic counselor and assistant to the athletic director. Caden Henderson NCAA Stats Splits: Stat Type: Pace Adjusted Season View Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Wichita State has won fourteen conference titles. Survivor Rick Stephens, a tackle on the 1970 team, has ridden his bicyle from Wichita to Colorado to raise money for the scholarship fund. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Buy 1 Month, Get 2 additional Months FREE. Wichita State wore black jerseys, normally reserved for home games, for all six remaining games. The Shockers voted 76-1 to continue the season against Arkansas in Little Rock. [38] The remaining portion of the schedule was designated the "second season. 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. We know you hear with us the thrill and excitement of the game. (AP Photo/Chris Schneider) In an annual ceremony of remembrance, a wreath is placed at Wichita State's Memorial . However, the aviation company did not own a DC-6 so it made arrangements to use one. Reeves, inducted in 1986 to the Shocker Sports Hall of Fame, is said to have helped several injured people after the crash. The unfortunate loss of 31 fine individuals deserves to be remembered.. 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 The Shockers only points were scored in the first quarter on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Tom Owen to Eddie Plopa. [14] Prior to the start of the season, second-year head coach Ben Wilson described his squad as a young club with good team speed, room to improve, and "a chance to surprise a lot of people."[13]. The future of the 1970 football season was in doubt, with the decision lying in the If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. The crash site is about a 575-mile drive from Wichita and is above I-70 on the north side of the highway, sitting on public land in the Arapaho National Forest. [5] Fairmount won the game 240.[6]. [15], In 1997, the cost was cited at $11 million to restart the football program and three other women's sports. 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. . Outland commented, "It seems to me that the distance required in three downs would almost eliminate touchdowns, except through fakes or flukes. 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.