Coach: 'We Are Marshall' About Hope, Faith

Dec. 21, 2006 — -- The story behind the film "We Are Marshall" is a legendary tale of loss and rebirth and a day that began like any other.

On Nov. 14, 1970, the Marshall University football team played its arch rival East Carolina University in a typical Saturday afternoon college football showdown. When the game ended, the team boarded a chartered flight to return home, but they never made it. The plane crashed and everyone onboard died.

The Marshall University football program suffered the biggest tragedy in college sports history. The college struggled to recover. In the school's darkest hour, Marshall University attempted to honor the dead by putting together a new football team the following year.

The effort was led by Marshall's new coach, Jack Lengyel, and returning assistant coach, Red Dawson, who was not on the disastrous flight.

"Good Morning America" anchor Robin Roberts recently sat down with Lengyel, played in the film by Matthew McConaughey, and Dawson, played by Matthew Fox.

Roberts: Tell me emotionally, what was it like, seeing the film, Red?

Dawson: It was very emotional. This is gonna be emotional for everyone, I think, but especially so for me.

Lengyel: And after watching the movie, I think that the entire crew…the actors, Matthew Fox and Matthew McConaughey, all did a brilliant job in, in paying respect to those who passed in the crash, as well as telling the story.

Roberts: What was it like for you to come in, after the fact? I mean, Red and others -- it happened to them, they lived through it and then you come into the situation and you wanted, you asked them for the job, you wanted the job.