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.

A Story of 'Faith'

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.

Lengyel: When I got there, everybody was behind me in the situation with regard to rebuilding the team. I thought I was coming down to rebuild a football team and quickly found out that there were 21 boosters on the plane -- four doctors and their wives, a state senator, a councilman and leadership of the community…And then you had the dean of admissions, the director of athletics, so there was a void in the competitive -- there was a void at the university, as well as the football team. So it was quite an undertaking.

But at no time did we really look at it as a major concern. We treated everybody like they were a varsity football team, even though they were all freshmen. And we the team, the Young Thundering Herd, just moved forward.

Roberts [to Dawson]: You suffered what many people suffer through after something like this. You were supposed to be on the plane, but you weren't.

Dawson: I think that's the only trip I've ever coached in Marshall and did my trip with the, with the team and I was recruiting. I was down at ... the East Carolina game and then decided to drive back by Ferrum Junior College [now Ferrum College]. I was looking at a big linebacker down there. I thought we had a chance to get him.

Roberts: Why aren't people familiar with this story? Why are so many people -- they just don't -- don't know about what happened?

Lengyel: I think it's because of -- Marshall University was not a major university, so to speak, even though we were playing in the Mid-American Conference at that time.

I think it's a very important story, and it's a story about hope and faith and perseverance. It's more than a football story. It's about tragedy and redemption. And I think…it shows a community and a team and a university that came together, that was always together.

Star Turns on the Silver Screen

Roberts: You both are handsome men. So we just, let me just put that out there, but Matthew Fox and Matthew McConaughey? Come on.

Dawson: It's what we call "fluff."

Lengyel: That's the Hollywood fluff.

Roberts: [They] take a little liberty here.

Lengyel: Oh, yes…we're taking a lot of heat. At least I'm taking a lot of heat on there. In fact, when they interviewed my wife, they said, "Well, it's Matthew McConaughey, the sexiest in the world, you know," and she said, "Well, you know, People magazine can't be wrong."

Roberts: Oh, of course not. Well, I'm sure you both got a good ribbing.

Lengyel: Yes. Oh, constantly.

Roberts: Well, it's a film I hope that a lot of people see because it's like you said…it's not a football film. It's not a sports film; it's about life. We are Marshall.

Dawson: Marshall, that's right.

Roberts: Well, you gave them a lot to work with and ... a moving story, beautifully told.