As Kokor left the premier in Huntington that night, he was approached by McG, born Joseph McGinty Nichol. McG said he heard opinions about the movie from many people not connected to it, but was interested in hearing the opinion of someone from the inside.

“This movie was difficult to produce because to do it well you have to grasp the spirit and feeling that occurred on the campus at that time,” Kokor said. “And in my opinion I think he did it.”

Actor Michael Moretti portrays the bespectacled Kokor in the movie, although Kokor said you’re going to have to look pretty closely to see him. A much younger Kokor gets a moment on screen, however, just before the credits when a picture of the 1970 team is shown.

The movie primarily focuses on new head coach Jack Lengyl and assistant coach Red Dawson, played by McConaughey and Fox, respectively, and their efforts to rebuild the program in the aftermath of the crash. Dawson was also on the 1970 staff, but was spared when he agreed to go on a recruiting trip at the last minute after the East Carolina game.

In conjunction with the movie, Warner Bros. recently released a DVD, “Return of the Thundering Herd,” that features an extensive interview the company did with Kokor earlier this year.

All of this attention has provided some unexpected benefits for Kokor, who said he’s getting Christmas cards from some players he hasn’t heard from in many years. He also recently received an e-mail from a woman in California whose brother was killed on the plane.

Kokor, who coached football at Westminster College in New Wilmington for 24 years and taught science at Brookfield High School for 27 years before retiring from both in 2000, feels fortunate just to be able to tell the story.

“I just want to enlighten people about what other people have gone through in life,” he said.