COLUMBUS – Hours away from their 2017 season opener at Indiana, the minds of Ohio State football players and coaches are on the victims of Harvey hundreds of miles away.
Head coach Urban Meyer announced Wednesday that his program will donate $10,000 to the American Red Cross for its Hurricane Harvey disaster relief efforts, Athletics Department spokesman Jerry Emig said.
The American Red Cross is accepting donations on its website OR text HARVEY to 90999 to donate $10.
The Buckeyes and the Indiana football teams will wear custom “Houston Strong” helmet stickers (pictured above) during their season-opening game Thursday night at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind. (8:00/ESPN).
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Meyer opened his weekly press conference Monday by addressing the issues ongoing in Texas, and then he mentioned on his radio show Tuesday that the football program would contribute funds toward the relief efforts.
“It’s one thing when it’s on TV and it’s another thing when you talk to a family that’s locked up in their homes right now,” he said at the news conference.
The team includes seven players from the state of Texas, including sophomore cornerback Kendall Sheffield, whose hometown of Missouri City was included in the evacuation zone around Houston.
“Kendall, I spoke to him last night and this morning to his family. Just everybody keep them in your thoughts and do all you can do to help,” Meyer said.
Several others have family near Houston who are sheltered and safe, Emig said.
The donation came in response to requests from players, each of whom would make a contribution with Meyer and the assistant coaches contributing additional funds to reach the goal.
Buckeyes from the state of Texas include quarterback J.T. Barrett, from Wichita Falls; linebacker Baron Browning and guard Demetrius Knox, both from Fort Worth; running back J.K. Dobbins, from La Grange; wide receiver Ellijah Gardiner, from Kemp, and cornerback Jeffrey Okudah, from Grand Prairie.