GO FOR 2

Last week a horrible tragedy occurred when University of Connecticut sophomore cornerback Jasper Howard was stabbed to death following his team’s win over Louisville. This week a lot of attention has been focused on how this team full of amazing and resilient young men has responded to the loss of a friend and teammate, and rightfully so. It would be difficult to deal with the loss of a friend, but to do it while still remaining committed to your team and school is incredible. While UConn players and the Howard family have dealt with this horrible situation many ahtletes, students, and everyday people from all across the country have gone out of their way to let the UConn team and the Howard family know that they have support in their dark hour. However, I think it’s important to note the very impresive actions of UConn’s first opponent since Howard’s slaying: the West Virginia Mountaineers. The entire WVU student body and administration showed a great amount of respect and integrity in all the ways that they chose to help honor and remember a fallen player…and part of the reason is likely because they’ve had practice helping to deal with tragedy.

Today a banner hung at the tunnel entrance to Mountaineer Field, that banner was signed by WVU students, fans, and football players. it read:

“Today we are all Huskies”

When the UConn players took the field they recieved one of the longest standing ovations ever given at Mountaineer Field. Prior to the game the teams also met at midfield for a handshake, but even a casual observer could see just how many hugs were given instead. Armbands and pins with Howard’s number and initials were also made by WVU students and thousands were passed out among the crowd. Other WVU fans took it upon themselves to bring signs and banners remembering Howard. Even UConn fans who traveled to the game made note of how many WVU fans stopped them to say good luck, and share condolences. Perhaps the most impressive thing that WVU did was play the game however. The didn’t take it easy on the UConn players, both teams absolutely played their hearts out, and the Mountaineers emerged victorious at the end of the day…but both teams are sure to walk away very impressed with one another as football players and as human beings.

It’s difficult not to be impressed with how the WVU players and fans welcomed, consoled, and competed with their UConn counterparts. When seeing all of this unfold I couldn’t help but think that this attitude was instilled in WVU a long time ago, by perhaps their most famous coach in another time of tragedy.

On November 14, 1970, Southern Airways Flight 932 crashed on its way from Kinston, North Carolina to West Virginia. When it crashed, it took with it 75 lives, including those of most of the Marshall Thundering Herd football team and coaching staff. When the crash occurred Marshall still had one game left to play in the 1970 season, that game was never played, but not for lack of effort. Marshall’s in-state rival, and its new coach Bobby Bowden, petitioned the NCAA to dress as the Marshall team and play their final game, but were denied. The following season Marshall earned a special exemption allowing the team to play freshman, but with a new coach and without an experienced offensive line the team could hardly use any of its current playbook. Bowden decided to allow new Marshall coach Jack Lengyel and his assistants access to all of WVU’s playbooks and game film so that they could learn the veer option offense which WVU had become excellent at running (this offense doesn’t require a very experienced or powerful O-line). Bowden also immediately had green crosses and the initials “MU” added to WVU’s helmets, and the team wore them for the entire 1971 season.

Whether Bowden’s actions forever instilled this kind of pride and respect in the WVU program, or whether the people up in Morgantown simply come that way is unknown. But in the faces of two terrible tragedies the WVU team and everyone involved has responded admirably, and they’ve done it simply because it was the right thing to do.