Back in Texas from their trip to Australia, Rice University's football team will be staying in downtown Fort Worth until it's safe to return home to Houston.
"The main thing is we're happy we're in Texas," said defensive coordinator Brian Stewart. "Dallas is, what, four-and-a-half hour, five-hour drive, so you can get to your family if we can get to the roads."
Unable to make it back to Houston, the team will stay at The Worthington Hotel, and practice at Texas Christian University this week.
"They're able to communicate with their families back home, and, you know, a lot of them right now are under the mandatory evacuation,"said head coach David Bailiff, whose wife is back home, staying on the second floor because she's unable to leave the flooded house.
"The people of Houston are living it, we just have anxiety," Bailiff said.
Arriving at the hotel from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Monday afternoon, players and coaches alike checked in with family and friends before checking into their rooms.
"They're doing OK. The water is pretty high," said offensive guard Kenneth Thompson, whose family lives in the Cypress section of Houston. "I think they say we're expecting even more rain, so it could get bad here soon if the rain keeps coming, whereas we've pretty much given up hope for my apartment in Meyerland. It's completely under."
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"Lot of friends and families are going through tough times," said safety Destri White, who is originally from Mesquite. "We're here with them in spirit."
As Hurricane Harvey pounded Houston Saturday, and the team worried about people back home, the Rice Owls lost to the Stanford Cardinal 62-7 in Sydney.
