The Marshall Story: College Football's Greatest Comeback
The story behind Warner Brothers’ movie, We Are Marshall, with Matthew McConaughey cast as Coach Jack Lengyel. (Opened in theaters nationally 12/22/06.) The Marshall Story tells the true and inspiring story of Marshall University’s rise from scandal and tragedy to stand among the elite of college football. Despite being a perennial football loser, Marshall’s Thundering Herd was much loved by the people of Huntington, West Virginia. When a group of well-financed boosters attempts to circumvent recruiting rules, an investigation leads to NCAA probation and the school’s expulsion from the Mid-American Conference. Just when Marshall appears to have restored order in the program, a plane carrying the players, coaches and fans home from a 1970 game at East Carolina crashes into a West Virginia hillside, killing all aboard. Undaunted, the school and community recover with the help of Coach Lengyel and inspired staff and players who restore the team’s competitive spirit and lay a foundation their successors will build upon to eventually win two national championships. The story of the movie’s development, with photos, is also included. The Marshall Story will make you laugh and cry, and by the last page, have you cheering for the indomitable spirit that prevails. Written and edited by four former sports reporters and editors, Rick Nolte, Mickey Johnson, Dave Wellman, and Tim Stephens, who covered Thundering Herd football over parts of four decades. 228 pages.
