"The legacy of the Marshall players who perished transcends wins and losses. Their tragic deaths squashed the likelihood of a bloody race riot on campus." The evening of November 14, 1970 was damp and chilly with a steady drizzle and dense fog. Students at Marshall University had no idea that the night's horrific events would change their lives forever.

On this night, a plane crash wiped out most of the school's football team. Unless you were there, you could never fully comprehend the gravity of grief that engulfed Huntington, West Virginia, in the days following the worst aviation...