How are ASU players dealing with the stress of Hurricane Harvey?

Senior J’Marcus Rhodes had terrifying thoughts running through his head.

What if somebody he knew couldn’t escape?

What if he received a call saying one of his family members or friends drowned?

“I had bad thoughts,” Rhodes said. “You got to think the worst sometimes.”

Since Aug. 27, Rhodes and other Texas natives on Arizona State’s football team have been playing with an extra weight on their shoulders. Each day, they’ve wondered if their families and friends were safe while Hurricane Harvey devastated parts of Texas and Louisiana. The worst of Harvey has already hit as rainfall totaled 50 inches in parts of Houston, but the recovery efforts are ongoing and may not be finished anytime soon.

Rhodes is from Orange, a Southeast Texas town that’s about an hour and a half from Houston by car. Rhodes’ mother and older brother are in Arizona, but his father and grandfather are back in Orange and his oldest brother lives in Houston.

As Harvey was sweeping through Texas, Rhodes constantly checked on family and friends during his free time to ensure they were safe. He called family members and had a group message with high school friends from his West-Orange Stark days.

Admittedly, he couldn’t physically do anything about it, so he tried to not allow it to mentally bring him down. But thinking of the flooded houses and residents in chest-deep water hit hard.

“It kind of motivates me,” Rhodes said. “I tell myself I have people struggling at home.”

Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Ryan Newsome just experienced the loss of his grandmother, Marva Newsome. He isn’t risking missing a call from his family during these scary times.

“If my family calls, I’m picking up no matter what,” he said. “No matter what I’m doing, I’m answering the phone.”

Although Newsome is from Aledo, Texas, he has family near Houston and his brother lives in Southeast Louisiana. Fortunately, Newsome said everyone is safe.

He’s made sure to check in on his family and friends daily. A quad injury has kept Newsome off the field, but the loss of his grandmother and the hurricane have made a nagging injury the least of his issues.

Staying focused and practicing with the extra baggage isn’t easy.

“It’s hard. I’m not going to lie to you, I struggled,” Newsome said. “With my grandmother being gone and with the hurricane, I’ve just been kind of struggling for a minute. But that’s why I have my teammates, my coaches here, my family is a phone call away.

“You can’t really control a disaster, you just pray for the best.”

Redshirt junior Christian Sam is from Allen and freshman running back Eno Benjamin hails from Wylie. Both towns are near Dallas and are about four-hour drives from Houston.

Sam was aware of the hurricane, but its magnitude soon became clear when he saw pictures on social media platforms like Twitter and Snapchat. Benjamin first called his father, who told him there was heavy rainfall but that the hurricane hadn’t hit the family’s home. He also checked in on his mother —a frequent traveler for work— because many gas stations were running out of gas.

In 2005, another hurricane struck land about eight hours from the Dallas area: Katrina. The hurricane, which hit New Orleans, is considered the most destructive natural disaster in United States history.

Rhodes remembers quickly needing to grab some of its belongings and evacuate home with his family. They drove from Orange to Austin, which took about seven hours because everyone was trying to leave town on a two-lane highway.

Sam was physically removed from Katrina’s destruction, but he hasn’t forgotten about it.

“Just seeing houses inches deep in the water,” Sam said when asked about what he remembers from Katrina. “When I was younger, I didn’t think that was possible. But seeing that, I was like, ‘Wow.’ People in boats, floating on anything they can get on top of to stay above water.”

Whether Harvey physically hit near home is beside the point for Benjamin. Figuratively, it hit close. He’s lived in Texas his entire life. And just like he did as a young child when Katrina hit, he sympathizes with those affected by Harvey.

“What people have put in their houses, it’s all gone,” Benjamin said. “I can just imagine myself losing all my belongings. I’m a big shoe guy and I would just imagine losing all my shoes. It’s a terrible feeling.”

In the wake of the hurricane’s destruction, folks around the country are lending a helping hand. Houston Texans star defensive lineman JJ Watt started a fundraising effort when Harvey began ravaging Texas.

Watt’s initial goal was $200,000, which he reached in two hours. News broke on Tuesday that he’s now raised over $20 million for hurricane relief efforts. In about a week, Watt has raised more money than he’ll make playing football this season.

Seattle Seahawks safety Earl Thomas (an Orange native) and Denver Broncos running back Jamaal Charles (a Port Arthur native) each donated $50,000 to Hurricane Harvey relief. Rhodes said he’s donated about $200 himself.

“That’s all I could donate,” said Rhodes, who may also donate clothes. “I donate inside my budget.”

Newsome said he’s donated as much money as he can afford to Red Cross. But like Rhodes, he’s still a college student.

“There’s not much I can do,” Newsome said. “I’m on scholarship, I don’t have a bunch of money. Moral support and being there for family I think is the best, best healing mechanism to the whole thing.”

Sam said he’s been going through his apartment to find clothes and shoes that he doesn’t wear or are too small for him. He plans to send them to Houston.

“I’ve tried to give some of my old stuff because I know they’re not going to have a lot of clothes or belongings,” he said.

Benjamin’s cousin, a travel nurse, flew into Phoenix last Thursday after ASU won its season opener against New Mexico State. Coincidentally, her next assignment was in Houston, so Benjamin went through his clothes and gave her some to take for relief efforts there.

Last week, ASU coach Todd Graham walked into the media room and sat down at the microphone. He knew he was about to field all types of questions about his team’s season-opening matchup with New Mexico State.

Graham, a Mesquite, Texas, native, offered a statement of his own before a question could be asked.

“I just wanted to offer my thoughts and prayers to Houston. I’ve got family and friends down there,” he said. “My heart goes out to them, thoughts and prayers are with them. It puts things in perspective to what’s important. Hopefully, they’re getting the help they need.”

Division I football players often say there is something wrong if one needs added motivation for the next game. Hurricane Harvey might be an exception — at least for Rhodes.

“It gives me something to play for,” Rhodes said.