The Texas A&M football team takes on UCLA at the Rose Bowl on Saturday to kick off the season, but they will be keeping their hearts in Texas with those who have been impacted by the catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Harvey.
Texas A&M Assistant Athletics Director for Equipment and Apparel Matt Watson designed a special helmet decal to honor the victims of the tragedy and unveiled it on social media.
The thought process behind the decal was to symbolize and acknowledge what happened, as well as what we’re feeling in three images combined — the universal hurricane symbol, the outline of the State of Texas, and a heart,” Watson said in a press release.
“The heart is almost centered over Bryan/College Station and positioned to cover the majority of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Harvey. It is intended to show that Texas shares one heartbeat and those affected are in our hearts and that they are not alone.”
.@CoachSumlin‘s remarks on #HurricaneHarvey and how you can help: #HelpforHouston #12thMan @RedCross pic.twitter.com/UsjwqiZFJ9
— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) August 29, 2017
The Aggies are one of many college football programs who will be looking to honor or help victims of the flooding, with programs like Baylor and SMU offering free tickets and food to their opening weekend games.
According to the Texas A&M release, over half of the players on the roster were impacted by the storm.
“It’s really a tough time,” head coach Kevin Sumlin said in the release. “Now that the pictures and the videos are coming out, I think the rest of the world understands what people in this region have known for the last three days. It’s something that hits home with us with the number of players from the Gulf Coast area, and from Houston in particular, on our team.
“It’s a tough time for the people of Houston and the Gulf Coast, and our thoughts and prayers are with them.”
Rescue efforts in Houston and surrounding areas continue to be underway, with the impact of Hurricane Harvey expected to continue for days with water still rising.
Those affected by the storm continue to be in our thoughts.
Kickoff between the Aggies and Bruins is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
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Photo Credit: Texas A&M Athletics
