Last Saturday my dear wife, Carrie, and I were back  on campus in Huntington, West Virginia. We attended the Marshall University Thundering Herd Spring Football Green-White Game at the Joan C. Edwards Stadium.  A place known as “The Joan”.

Last November on this site I wrote about Carrie and I being present at the ceremonial turning off of the fountain on campus that is silenced every November 14th to honor the 75 victims of a plane crash carrying players,  coaches, staff, fans, and flight crew of a Southern Airlines flight that just didn’t quite make the runway in the hills east of town.  That story was chronicled well in the movie “We Are Marshall”.   It just so happened that last November 14th fell on a game day.  We were there to watch the Herd play Florida International University.  The Herd won easily.

There were thousands in attendance for the ceremony to turn off the fountain that game day.

 

Last Saturday there were hundreds of fans to see the fountain turned on again.

Of course the players and the coaching staff were on hand.

Former player Bob Dardinger was the featured speaker.  His twin brother, Richard Dardinger, was killed in the November 15, 1970 crash.  It was the first time Bob Dardinger had attended a fountain ceremony.  He was almost apologetic in his remarks.  His visit back to the school was a homecoming for him that he did not know was in store.  He said he was back home.  He seemed relieved to be back.   Mr. Dardinger gave us words from the heart, not rehearsed, not an attempt to be genuine.  He was genuine. There was a passion and a thankful quality in his voice, like what you hope you will hear.

There were also remarks from one of the 1996 I-AA Championship players.  Aaron Ferguson told stories about his playing days and seeing teammates from twenty years ago.  He too was a good speaker.  It was good to hear from an interior lineman at one of these things for a change.  It was fitting.  The line is anchor of the team…offense and defense.

If you saw the movie “We Are Marshall”, you certainly remember assistant coach Red Dawson.  Red is above in the green hat shaking a gentleman’s hand.

After the ceremonies players signed autographs for kids, friends posed for pictures and mingled, the was a youthful feeling.  The fountain made it back.  It is time for football again in Huntington, West Virginia.

Folks looking on as the fountain is turned back on.

One of my favorites is this lineman signing an autograph for a young fan.  After he gave the autograph to the youngster, he turned around and got a big hug from his mother.

Athletic Director Mike Hamrick, on the far right in the black jacket, poses with some that were undoubtedly old teammates.  Athletic Directors get VERY little respect.  I work with one down the hall from my guidance office.  Mike Hamrick will never get the “attaboys” that he is due.  I hope he is okay with that.

Carrie and me in a very rainy Joan C. Edwards Stadium.

After the Green-White Game, fans were invited to the field to listen in on the closing of Spring Practice.  Above is defensive coordinator, Coach Chuck Heater, giving his words about the defensive play.

 

Listening in on this was a treat.  The coaches spoke candidly.  We were at practice folks.  It was very interesting.  As the son of a football coach, I appreciated and understood the moment.

Head Coach Doc Holliday had the final words before we went into the indoor practice facility where players sign autographs and posed for pictures.  Coach Holliday has done a fantastic job of leading the Herd back to national prominence…where they belong.

Carrie and I looked around but did not stay around.

I never get tired of telling the story, and I did this past week, of how Carrie and I came to know Marshall Thundering Herd Football.  After years of passing by Huntington to and from North Carolina on vacation, one year, I think it was 2007,  we stopped in trying to buy a few extra hours on the road before we got back home in Southern Indiana.  Everywhere we went folks were talking football.  It was early July, I think.  At the gas station, Herd talk.  In the restaurant, Herd  talk.  In the stores, Herd talk.  Carrie and I looked at each other and loved every minute.  We didn’t have to say a word.  We knew what the other was thinking.  We drove over the stadium and as fate would have it, they were holding a “pick your seat” season ticket drive.  We walked right in.  That was the first time I stood on the field of “The Joan”.  We have been back ever since.  And we have seen road games at Louisville, Purdue, Western Kentucky, and Miami of Ohio.  We will be back this fall in Huntington.

In a place in time when history is being knocked around, distorted, put into mothballs, or just plain done away with, it is good that Marshall honors its football program, and more importantly the ones that gave all they had for Herd Football.

 

These guys will be forever green and white each Spring and there is a fountain to prove it.

Go Herd!

 

 

Speaking the rights…

Danny Johnson