City Unveils 'Marshall Four' Statues At Benjamin Barnes YMCA

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The City of Tuscaloosa on Wednesday unveiled bronze statues at the Benjamin Barnes YMCA in West Tuscaloosa honoring four Druid High School football players who went on to play at Marshall University and lost their lives in the 1970 plane crash that claimed 75 lives.

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The Marshall Four Statues honor football standouts Joe Hood, Larry Sanders, Robert VanHorn and Freddy Wilson.

The crowd heard from a long list of dignitaries, including Mayor Walt Maddox, Councilor Raevan Howard, former City Council President Harrison Taylor, attorney and former Marshall University Student Body President Matt Glover, Marshall University Vice President of Alumni Relations Matt James, Marshall University Student Body President Connor Waller, Marshall plane crash family member Lucianne Kautz-Call, former classmate Peggy Carpenter, and the city's Director of Arts & Entertainment Kay Day.

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“The Marshall Four story is Tuscaloosa’s story,” Maddox said. “It can finally be told without reservation and in perpetuity with today’s unveiling. Joe Hood, Larry Sanders, Robert VanHorn and Freddy Wilson did not get to grow old, but their wisdom lives on to teach us and future generations.”

The “Marshall Four” were the first Black athletes from Tuscaloosa to attend Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, on athletic scholarships. On Nov. 14, 1970, the team’s chartered jet crashed one mile short of the runway while returning from a game against East Carolina University, killing everyone on board.

Former Council President Harrison Taylor said the men remained grounded in faith even while far from home.

“These young men not only went to church away from home, they joined the First Baptist Church in Huntington, West Virginia,” Taylor said.

The statues were created by Tuscaloosa artist Caleb O’Connor, whose other works include the Minerva statue at Manderson Landing and the Deontay Wilder statue outside the Visit Tuscaloosa Welcome Center.

Howard, who represents a large part of West Tuscaloosa, said the moment was long overdue.

“These four men will be forever known as the Druid Dragons, the Marshall Four and legends of our hometown,” Howard said. “To be able to give these legends a permanent place in their community, to be celebrated, is an honor I will never forget.”

The new installation is part of Elevate Tuscaloosa, a citywide initiative that funded the new Benjamin Barnes YMCA facility, which opened in December 2024.

Marshall University’s Matt James reflected on the shared grief and pride the day represented.

“On days like this, we’re filled with a sense of pride, but we’re also very sad because we remember,” James said. “When challenging things happen in life, we can go one of two ways — and we always choose to remember, even though that’s the hardest thing to do.”

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