1970 wichita state football roster
Bob Seaman took over as head coach after the crash. Fewer people are familiar with another football tragedy that happened the month before the crash of an airplane carrying Wichita State University football players. And it was dedicated to all those guys who didnt make it.. The first game following the air tragedy was Saturday, October Six years later, the Shockers dropped their football program and have not played since. Understanding the 1970 Wichita State football plane crash. There was talk over the summer about reviving the football program. 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. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Its almost like another memorial to them, with all of that still up there, teammate Ed Plopa said. [8], On November 7, the Shockers showed marked improvement in a 2112 loss to Tulsa. The NTSB also cited the overloaded condition of the plane and a virtual absence of planning by the flight crew. We acknowledge you as a real and important part of both. 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. In addition to the 14 players killed, eight other players survived the crash with varying degrees of injury: On the scheduled game day, the team held a memorial service at Romney Stadium in Logan and placed a wreath on the 50-yard line. The Shockers voted 76-1 to continue the season against Arkansas in Little Rock. Its just something you live with all the time. It landed in Logan. The 1970 team had a 3-6. The Shockers went 6-5 in 1972 and didnt post another winning season until going 8-3 in 1983. All 75 people aboard were killed. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. Thirty-one people died as a result of the crash: 14 players, 14 WSU staff and boosters, and three crew members. The NCAA allowed WSU to play freshmen, who were ineligible at the time by NCAA rule. The game was officiated by then Washburn head coach John H. Outland. 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.". This is an opportunity to put the events in the publics mind, Stephens said in 2014. If you have this information and would like to share "[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]. Twenty-nine died at the scene. 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 Out of that great loss came a strength that was given to each survivor, to each member of the athletic administration, she said. We will take a step back in time and look back at something that happened in Razorbacks history. [3] They followed with losses to Arkansas State on September 19 and West Texas State on September 26. Head coach Ben Wilson, 14 players, and 16 others died on October 2 in the Wichita State University football team plane crash. The Wichita State Shockers football team was the college football program of Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. Not a subscriber yet? Tolley was Marshall's head football coach when the team's plane crashed in 1970 killing all 75 people aboard. Once there, the senior parked his car and . 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. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. The visiting Shockers fumbled the football an incredible 17 times, with the Seminoles recovering 10 times. 24 with the University of Arkansas Razorbacks in Little Rock at the War Memorial Stadium. View Previous Seasons LSFN All-Time Record 466-287-31 Former college football team in Kansas, USA, Breaking the color barrier in college football coaching, 1897 Fairmount Wheatshockers football team, 1905 Washburn vs. Fairmount football game, Wichita State University football team plane crash, "Wichita State suspends football program", "MEMORIAL '70 - Memorial '70 Home - Wichita State University", "Wichita State gives up football, too expensive", "Shocker football players return to Cessna Stadium", "Stadium Fix-up Costs Throw WSU Football Hopes For Loss", "PRICE FOR WSU TO START FOOTBALL AGAIN: $11 MILLION * REPORT CALCULATES COST OF ADDING 1-AA FOOTBALL AND THREE WOMEN'S SPORTS", "Not so fast: Football's return to campus no done deal - The Sunflower: Campus Life", "WSU gets the OK to tear down Cessna Stadium", "How and why Wichita State? 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. service was held Monday evening at Cessna Stadium. (AP Photo/Henry Griffin)AP. [2], 1970 NCAA University Division football season, 1970 Missouri Valley Conference football standings, Wichita State University football team plane crash. Learn more and register, College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com Blog and Articles. Loria was a former teammate of Beamer. . 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. Wichita State has won fourteen conference titles. Copyright 2000-2023 Sports Reference LLC. [18][19], In 2012, an attempt was made to begin a club-level football team at Wichita State with hopes of eventually reviving the football program, though no official endorsement was given by the university.[20]. But, the DC-6 was damaged so the aviation company opted to use two Martin 4-0-4 aircraft. 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. "[9] According to Nelson, Washburn completed three passes, and Fairmount completed two. 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. This week, we take a look back at Arkansas' game against Wichita State in 1970. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. 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 Arkansas' fans refrained from calling the Hogs as they supported the Shockers. The Shockers only points were scored in the first quarter on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Tom Owen to Eddie Plopa. And when I heard that airplane, I knew there was something different. Taylor died Oct. 28 in a San Antonio hospital. [38] The remaining portion of the schedule was designated the "second season. Bert Katzenmeyer, 52, Wichita, athletic director, Marian Katzenmeyer, 52, Wichita, wife of athletic director, Marty Harrison, 19, Argonia, team manager, Carl Fahrbach, 50, Wichita, dean of admissions, Floyd Farmer, 35, Wichita, ticket manager, Ray Coleman, 45, Wichita, chairman of Shocker Club, Maxine Coleman, 43, Wichita, wife of chairman, John Grooms, 42, Wichita, won membership drive, Etta Mae Grooms, 38, Wichita, won membership drive, Yvonne King, 41, Hesston, wife of state representative. The starters played only 18 snaps, long enough to build a 20-0 lead. 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. Do you have a blog? Fifty years ago Friday. Head coach Ben Wilson, 14 players, and 16 others died on October 2 in the Wichita State University football team plane crash. The NTSB estimated the plane exceeded its takeoff weight limitation by around 5,165 pounds. www.kansas.com/sports/college/wichita-state/, 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, 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, Bob Lutz: Bob Seaman kept Shocker football going in the wake of 1970s tragic plane crash, Payton Tolle delivers one of the best two-way games in Wichita State baseball history, About that bloody fetus picture you found on your car . [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. 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. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. 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. Survivor Rick Stephens, a tackle on the 1970 team, has ridden his bicyle from Wichita to Colorado to raise money for the scholarship fund. However, the aviation company did not own a DC-6 so it made arrangements to use one. The records below only includes games while a member of the conference and does not include games against teams listed below considered non-conference games. Player Randy Kiesau flew from Wichita to Denver on the Black plane, then changed to the Gold plane. Bob Seaman took over as head coach after the crash. Members of the 1970 Wichita State and Arkansas teams will have a reunion at War Memorial Stadium this weekend for the Alcorn State game. A: On Nov. 14, 1970, a plane carrying Marshall's football team back crashed near the airport in Huntington, W.V., killing 75 people. The Shockers were a common opponent for the Razorbacks in those days; they played five times between 1964 and 1980. (AP Photo)ASSOCIATED PRESS. Were still all so close, and we do so much of that in their memory. 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. 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. This article uses material from the Wikipedia article 1970 Wichita State Shockers football team, and is written by contributors. The good news for the Wildcats is the increasing likelihood their entire offensive line will return, including junior left guard Cooper Beebe. That event is the subject of the 2006 movie "We Are Marshall," starring Matthew McConaughey. Q: Did the crash contribute to Wichita State dropping football after the 1986 season? 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. 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. 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.. Find out more. 9 Arkansas on Oct. 24. Caden Henderson NCAA Stats Splits: Stat Type: Pace Adjusted Season View 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. On December 25, 1905, Fairmount played a game against the Washburn Ichabods using a set of experimental rules. The event was organized by former Wichita State player John Potts and former Arkansas player Chuck Dicus, according to The Wichita Eagle. This story was originally published October 1, 2015, 12:36 PM. Every Sports Reference Social Media Account, Site Last Updated: Saturday, March 4, 6:41AM. Our reasoning for presenting offensive logos. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. By the numbers. line. The unfortunate loss of 31 fine individuals deserves to be remembered.. [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 Gold aircraft carried the starting players, head coach and athletic director.
