Texans touched by Harvey’s heroes
Stories of water rescues, residents’ resilience leave mark
DeAndre Hopkins has a new hero who does not play football.
Amid talk of his brand-new contract extension, injured thumb and the regular-season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Houston Texans’ Pro Bowl receiver relayed a story he heard Sunday. Hopkins said he, defensive end J.J. Watt and other teammates were distributing supplies to flood victims when he found himself in conversation with another volunteer.
“He was just telling me how basically he took a boat with no motor on it and picked up over 20 people,” Hopkins said Monday. “He was like a hero, so I was picking his brain.”
Hopkins noted he was personally stuck at home playing video games when Hurricane Harvey hit while the volunteer was navigating the floodwaters.
“He was just telling he how it took him 30 minutes to get back and forth to people and how he could hear people in their houses screaming out their windows for help,” added Hopkins, who is entering his fifth NFL season and just signed a five-year contract worth up to $81 million.
“But his boat would be full and he couldn’t get back to them in time. So just hearing that, it was deep.”
As the Texans prepared for the Jags, several players took time Monday to reflect how participating in relief efforts, including those led by Watt, has impacted them.
Kendall Lamm, an offensive lineman, said he was struck by the excitement of children upon seeing him and other team members.
“I mean, they may have lost everything, and to know that me, as an individual at 25 years old, can be a light for somebody who literally just went through that destruction?” Lamm said. “That really brought a smile to my heart.”
Brandon Dunn, a linebacker, noticed a glaring omission during conversations on his day interacting with flood victims and other volunteers.
“I don’t think I got one football question at all from anybody,” he said. “Everybody put football on the back burner, which is a good thing. At that time and moment, football didn’t need to be talked about.
“We were worried about getting supplies and what they need.”
Linebacker Brandon Scarlett said his experience meeting with flood victims made a “huge impression.”
“Just asking what they needed, and they’re like, ‘We’re coming for four families, so we have three babies.’ And we’re handing them diapers and Pampers and stuff,” he said. “And it’s like they really need that stuff.
“To be able to hand out those things and help people get back on track made me feel good.”
Although Watt has attracted national attention while raising nearly $20 million and initiating a drive that led to 10 truckloads of donations he helped distribute, Texans coach Bill O’Brien took the time Monday to recognize the contributions of other players, too.
“It’d be remiss of me not to mention how proud we all are of this football team and what they’ve done in the communities,” said O’Brien, who also praised Watt again as well. O’Brien noted: u55 players, along with some coaches and their family members, visited the shelter at NRG Center across from the team’s stadium. “I was there,” O’Brien said. “That was a very good experience for all of us.”
Linebacker Brian Cushing worked with the United Service Organizations last weekend.
Linebacker Whitney Mercilus visited first responders.
Lamm and Greg Mancz volunteered at the Houston Food Bank.
Several players visited the
Boys & Girls Clubs.
Long snapper Jon Weeks and running back D’Onta Foreman are selling T-shirts to support relief efforts.
“I mean, you just can’t say enough about this team,” O’Brien said. “I’m probably leaving some guys out, but they’re really a bunch of great guys.”