Insomnia seems like narcolepsy compared to heartbreak.

Johnnie and Kathi Goddard, the parents of former Marshall University football All-America defensive end Johnathan Goddard, know all too well that sorrow and sleep don't mix.

As they have learned far too often in the days since the oldest of their five children died in a motorcycle accident in Jacksonville, Fla., on Father's Day, rest comes only when tears stop.

It is during those sleepless stretches that the grief-stricken husband and wife need a healthy dose of Herd healing.

Depending on the time of day, they walk to the kitchen and sit down in front of their desktop or they grab their laptop and curl up under the covers in their bed. Then, they go to "Favorites" and click on "Herd Nation," which takes them to the message board of the same name.

And they cry even more. Those tears, however, are tears of joy and pride.

Within hours of his death, Marshall fans had posted dozens of messages that mourned the tragedy and praised the victim.

The late Goddard, of course, was remembered for returning an interception against Kansas State and stripping the football against Ohio State. But he also was remembered for coaching a youth baseball team and giving a child an unexpected birthday present simply by attending the boy's party.

"The strength that we find in the messages we read and the comfort that they bring ... I can't put it into words," Kathi said. "That's what has gotten us through this. I don't know how we would have made it without them. We sit there for hours and read them again and again."

"It's a comfort knowing we raised a kid who touched so many lives," Johnnie added. "He was a great football player, a great son, a great dad and a great person. There's a void in our lives that can never be filled, but in the same sense there are so many people who are going to have that same void in their lives. They will miss him as much as we do."

The Florida couple also has received about 125 cards from Marshall fans.

"We got more cards from West Virginia than we did from here," Kathi said. "It's amazing. We just sit there and look at the stack. It's overwhelming."

If Hallmark cards and Internet posts were all Marshall fans had given the Goddards, they would have cherished those gifts like a homeless man appreciates a warm bed and a hot meal.

But Herd Nation did more. Much more.

Unbeknownst to his parents, Johnathan didn't have life insurance. To make matters worse, Johnnie and Kathi also found out their son wasn't covered under an extra policy she had acquired at work because it was only for dependents under 25. Johnathan was 27.

"I fell to the floor and just cried," Kathi said. "I would have sworn I had insurance for him. How could I have made such a mistake?"

Kathi called to borrow against her 401K but could get only $2,500.

"What can I do? I have to bury my child," she thought. "But I don't know how I'm going to pay for this. We don't have it in savings. We don't have it in checking. We don't have it anywhere."

The next step for Johnnie and Kathi was taking out another mortgage on their home, a when-all-else-fails measure that no one wants to take in the middle of an economic recession.

"We didn't know how we were going to do it," Johnnie said.

When Marshall fans and brothers Carlos and Mark Campbell heard about the Goddards' problem, the brothers established a trust fund to help them.

"It just felt like it was the right thing to do," Mark Campbell said.

Other college football fans apparently agree.

As of Wednesday, Herd Nation had collected $7,910.66 in donations. And not all of them were from Marshall fans. Some were from Alabama, Central Florida, East Carolina, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, Southern Mississippi and West Virginia supporters.

"We're nobody," Kathi said, "but people just reached out from everywhere."

"The outpouring," Johnnie added, "is unbelievable."

Former Marshall Coach Bob Pruett can believe it. He has seen it before. Case in point: Herd fans raised money for Tim Martin in the late 1990s when the former Marshall wide receiver was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

"Our community steps up when people are in need," Pruett said. "That's what makes the Marshall family very special. I'm proud and honored to be a part of it."

The goal is another $4,574.12, which would pay the bill in full.

"I think we'll get there," Mark Campbell said.

Donations can be sent to The Johnathan Goddard Bereavement Fund, c/o Chase Bank, 1000 5th Avenue, Huntington, WV 25701. They also can be made through PayPal at goddardbereavementf...@suddenlink.net.

Johnnie said he and his wife plan to attend "as many home games as we can this season because we want to thank as many people as possible.

"To show a kid and his family that much love is amazing, I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart."

--Contact sportswriter Jacob Messer at jacobmes...@dailymail.com or 348-1712.