MORGANTOWN -- West Virginia University played a key role in helping Marshall University rebuild its football program after a plane crash took the lives of 75 football players, coaches and community members in 1970, a report on the West Virginia University Library's site, www.libraries.wvu.edu, said.
WVU again played an important role in the retelling of the saga in the movie "We Are Marshall."
Charged with the task of training a team composed mostly of new players, MU coaches Jack Lengyel and Red Dawson turned to then WVU football coach Bobby Bowden for guidance.The pair made a trip to Morgantown to learn the veer offense from Bowden. Lengyel and Dawson sat in an office at the old Mountaineer Stadium and watched black and white game films to study the plays.
On the big screen, audiences view a clip of actual game footage of the Mountaineers. The footage was provided by the WVU Libraries, who have archived more than 400 game films from about 1940 to 1970. To secure a few minutes of vintage Mountaineer action, film producers worked with John Cuthbert, curator of the West Virginia and Regional History Collection; Randy Jenkins, library media supervisor; and Shea Browning, assistant general counsel for WVU. Rodney Adlington and Cheryl Clark, both from the Library Systems Department, performed the technical work.
Cuthbert worked directly with Lengyel to find a portion of film showing the veer offense, while Browning and others read over a three-page section of script to make sure WVU is depicted accurately. That part of the script earned the university's approval.
"WVU looks good in the movie. Basically, it shows us as the big guys helping out the little guys," Browning said.
Before the movie was released Bill Bissett, director of public relations for Marshall University, said he thought WVU fans would be touched by the camaraderie the sequence creates.
"The coaches and players of WVU helped Marshall in its darkest hour in rebuilding this football program," Bissett said. "It definitely portrays Bobby Bowden and West Virginia University in an excellent light."
Overall, Bissett believes the movie has a unifying theme.
"In this film, you really see West Virginians helping West Virginians," Bissett said.
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Faculty, students and others attend memorial services at the Memorial Student Center Plaza for the Marshall University football team that lost their lives in a plane crash on Nov. 14, 1970.
The board room scene in "We Are Marshall" used several local people as extras. In the scene, actor Anthony Mackie attempts to convince the university's board to keep the football program.
A rededication ceremony for a Marshall Football Memorial takes place on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020, outside of the Marshall Recreation Center in Huntington.
Actor Matthew McConaughey as former Marshall University Head Football Coach Jack Lengyel on Merrill Avenue Wednesday, April 19, 2006, during filming of "We Are Marshall." In this scene, Lengyel (McConaughey) steps outside to pick up the morning paper as he is greeted by cheering fans headin…
Marshall basketball player Mark Patton portrays a 1971 Marshall player asked to join the football team following the 1970 plane crash that claimed the lives of 75 community members including the football team. These scenes for "We Are Marshall" were filmed Tuesday, April 4, 2006, near Twin T…
Some "We Are Marshall" actors attended the annual memorial service on Nov. 14, 2006. Keith-Albee green carpet premiere tickets went on sale Nov. 13, 2006. General movie premiere tickets went on sale Nov. 27, 2006.
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Actor Matthew Fox speaks about his portrayal of former Marshall assistant coach Red Dawson in the movie "We Are Marshall" during a news conference Friday, April 7, 2006, at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington.
Actors David Strathairn and Matthew McConaughey join director McG and producer Basil Iwanyk during a news conference Saturday, April 1, 2006, at the Keith-Albee Theatre in Huntington.
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Huntington filming for the movie "We Are Marshall" ended with film crews shooting crowd reaction shots at the Green and White game at the Joan C. Edwards Stadium on Saturday, April 22, 2006.
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The 75 victims of the 1970 Marshall University plane crash were honored during the annual memorial service on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2010, at the Memorial Fountain on the Student Center Plaza.
A large crowd gathers to watch the stars of "We Are Marshall" walk the green carpet for the premiere of the film on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2006, in Huntington.
Marshall University honors the 75 lives lost in the 1970 plane crash tragedy during the 48th Annual Memorial Service on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018, at the Memorial Fountain on the Memorial Student Center Plaza in Huntington, W.Va.
The 43rd Annual Marshall University Memorial Fountain Ceremony is held on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013, at the Memorial Student Center Plaza in Huntington. The annual memorial service honors the 75 victims of the 1970 Marshall plane crash.
A large crowd gathers at the Pullman Square Marquee Cinemas to watch the student premiere of "We Are Marshall" on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2006, in Huntington.