Football Team Pulls Together in Katrina Effort
10/13/2005 8:00:00 AM | Football
Oct. 12, 2005
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Behind the leadership of a group of its student-athletes, the University of Maryland football team pulled together recently to do what it could to send financial aid to the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Though the team does not have any players whose families were directly affected by the storm -- Jo Jo Walker of Carrolton, Texas, is the closest in proximity -- the Terrapins did what they could to help provide aid. Led by Walker, LB D'Qwell Jackson, TB Mario Merrills, FB Ricardo Dickerson, LB Wesley Jefferson and CB Josh Wilson, a plan was devised that would help the team send a donation today of nearly $10,000 to the American Red Cross.
The week of the Clemson game, Jackson and the players above suggested to the coaching staff that they and their teammates sacrifice meal money that is given to the team on the weekends and donate that money to the relief efforts. The team not only answered that it would collectively make the sacrifice, but it would do so both that weekend and the following weekend (the West Virginia game).
In the end, the team gave $9,020 and the football staff chipped in another $330.
Delivery of the check as well as a story on the team's contributions have been filmed by the FridgeTV crew and will be shown at a later date on the FridgeTV page on UMTerps.com.
This is just one of several efforts orchestrated by the Terp football team over the last few years. A successful coat drive led by Shawne Merriman will be in its third year this year and former CB Domonique Foxworth started a program for underpriveledged youth called S.T.A.F.F. which teaches youngsters the importance of school and a college education. The team was also honored as a group in the offseason as one of the Athletics Department's top programs in terms of community service in 2004-05.
