Marshall football coach Tony Gibson goes over a warm-up drill with the team during its first spring practice on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington.
Marshall football coach Tony Gibson goes over a warm-up drill with the team during its first spring practice on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington.
HUNTINGTON Ƶ MarshallƵs football program recently hit a season-ticket goal that unlocked a unique community perk Ƶ the filling of potholes.
Thundering Herd coach Tony Gibson has put forth the effort of giving back to the community in many ways. Offering up labor to help with the spring patchwork season was the first of many.
Ƶ(Huntington) Mayor (Patrick) Ferrell and (Marshall athletic director) Christian (Spears) got together and made this initiative happen,Ƶ Gibson said. ƵIt was good for our guys to get out and give back to this community that gives so much to us, our program and this university. It was good.
ƵGot the guys out working. They picked up some trash and we filled some potholes. I hope they can play football better than they can fill a pothole, but weƵll work on that.Ƶ
On national signing day, when the Herd announced that it had more than 60 new signees, from transfers to the high school ranks, Gibson praised the character of the new group.
Marshall menƵs basketball coach Corny Jackson often speaks of the importance of recruiting high-character players for the building of camaraderie between new players. Gibson finds his group represents well.
ƵTheyƵre great kids and great young men that are very respectful out in the community,Ƶ Gibson said. ƵEverywhere I go, people say that they ran into someone off the team and that they are very polite. ThatƵs the way we want to represent ourselves and this university. WeƵre never going to come off of that. WeƵll stay on them to make sure we do things the right way.Ƶ
One of those new players is receiver Louikenzy Jules. He played right down the interstate at the University of Charleston and has found the new community in Huntington to be welcoming.
ƵThese people in the community are great,Ƶ Jules said. ƵThey all seem to have a deep connection to the Herd football team. Working with them was really good.Ƶ
Jalen Slappy and Toby Payne helped out with the work. Ƶ the spring game approaches on April 12, Slappy said the off-the-field work helps set a communication foundation.
ƵThere were a lot of new guys that came. It wasnƵt like it was just me and Toby,Ƶ Slappy said. ƵSo they came, and it was actually doing good for the community. They werenƵt nervous or anything, so it went well.Ƶ
Slappy said the process itself of filling a pothole was one that Payne, a native of Poca, somehow had plenty of familiarity with.
ƵWe drive down those roads, too, so the potholes Ƶ you live in West Virginia, so you know how the potholes are,Ƶ Slappy said. ƵIt was a really good experience. The mayor and AD came out. I had fun, really. It was my first time doing it, so Toby was teaching me a lot because heƵs into it. HeƵs been doing stuff like that for a long time.Ƶ
ƵSee, the pothole Ƶ then they got like 200 degrees of stuff they put down. The rest of it is there. You flatten it. Toby knows all about it, but they have this thing that goes over it. It went good. Easier than I thought.Ƶ
He also said there is a greater effort at giving back to the community with the new staff.
ƵItƵs been good. This year, weƵre more into helping the community,Ƶ Slappy said. ƵWhich we should. It does so much for us, so we should give back and help anything we can.Ƶ
{div class=”x_elementToProof” data-olk-copy-source=”MessageBody”}Tyler Kennett is a sports writer for The Herald-Dispatch. Reach him at tkennett@hdmediallc.com. Follow @tylerkennett on X.{/div}
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