By Jack Houvouras
HQ 45 | AUTUMN 2002
Do you remember Fairfield Stadium? I do. I was just five years old when my Dad began taking me to my first Marshall football games at the humble venue near Hal Greer Boulevard. He always seemed so excited about the prospect of watching the team play, even though the Thundering Herd wasn’t much to brag about in those days. I’ll never forget that bleak Sunday morning when my father sat me on his lap in the living room and showed me The Herald-Dispatch article with photographs of the 37 players whose lives were lost on that tragic November night.
Recently, I found myself thinking a lot about Ol’ Fairfield Stadium and the old Thundering Herd. From the unforgettable grief following the plane crash to the unprecedented string of 13 losing seasons that followed, Marshall University football has come a long way. Just a few weeks ago I received my copy of Sports Illustrated in the mail and learned that Marshall was ranked #19 in the country in their annual pre-season poll. I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about Ol’ Fairfield.
Back then, I never thought I would see the day when Marshall University would play again at the Division I-A level, let alone enter a season as one of the Top 20 teams in the nation ahead of such celebrated perennial powers as Notre Dame, Penn State, Alabama, USC and UCLA.
I never thought I would see the day when Marshall would go undefeated and finish the season ranked 10th in the nation as it did in 1999.
I never thought I would see the day when three Thundering Herd football players would be finalists for the Heisman Trophy award in the span of just six years, yet that is exactly what will have transpired by the end of this season if Quarterback Byron Leftwich fulfills his potential.
I never thought I would see the day when lowly Marshall would be playing such acclaimed powerhouse programs as Florida, Michigan State, Clemson, Virginia Tech, Tennessee, Miami, Georgia and Ohio State.
I never thought I would see the day when Marshall would play in five consecutive bowl games on national television, winning all but one.
I never thought I would see the day when 20 former Marshall players would be competing in the NFL.
I never thought I would see the day when a former Marshall player would lead his team to Super Bowl glory, but that’s exactly what wide receiver Troy Brown did for the New England Patriots this past season.
I never thought I would see the day when numerous experts would predict that a Thundering Herd player would be the #1 player selected in the NFL draft, yet that’s the current rap on Leftwich this year.
And, I never thought I would see the day when Marshall University’s football program would hold the highest winning percentage of any Division I-A school in the nation.
It’s been five years since Marshall University made the jump to the big time and nearly beat WVU in Morgantown in their first game in Division I-A competition since 1977. It’s been five years since Chad Pennington and Randy Moss lead the Herd to their first bowl game in 50 years. I’ve been to a lot of games in the new Marshall University stadium since it opened, and through it all, I’m still amazed.
Fortunately, the memories of Ol’ Fairfield Stadium still linger, reminding me to revel in the phenomenal success of today’s program and enjoy each and every time the Thundering Herd takes the field.
