Dispatch: Kingsbury Talks Houston and Hurricane Harvey

I wanted to pull this out separately from the press conference post to highlight how this team, the players, the coaches, are absorbing and dealing with the devastation in the Texas Gulf Coast.

Q. You have several players in Houston in that area, any update on their families?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, we keep asking. Some are in different areas that have been hit too significantly, and I know a lot of people are trying to figure out whether to go or to stay. So we just get daily updates from our players. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families and hopefully that subsides soon and we can get on the road to recovery down there.

Q. When you look at teams like TCU and Texas who are hosting Rice and the University of Houston right now, what do you think that says about the camaraderie that exists across college football?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, that’s awesome. Anytime, especially in our state, you have something like this you see the type of people we have in the state and the type of leadership we have in the state to reach out and take care of others.

I was actually at University of Houston when we had to evacuate one time and we were in Dallas for two weeks. They put us up at SMU and it was the same type of treatment. It’s awesome to see in this day and age.

Q. (Inaudible)?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: There is a hotel, a Hilton something right there in Dallas. Waited it out for two weeks and it wasn’t easy. The team has a lot of family and friends and their apartments and houses and waiting to see what happens. So I can empathize with what they’re going through right now.

Q. (Inaudible) did it affect your preparation?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: I mean it was tough. Like I said, the focus is the biggest thing. They’re thinking about 1,000 other things and family and their apartments and their cars, so football is really not the biggest thing on your mind at that point. So I don’t know. If there is a way to handle it appropriately, but I just remember it being a tough situation for us.

Q. Can the football aspect of that be a comfort knowing that it’s at least consistent, 100-yard feel, touches are the same, players are the same?
KLIFF KINGSBURY: Yeah, I think so. I think you can find some peace when you’re out there. When you’re watching the news and you’re hearing reports, I think it’s hard to not keep going back to it.

This team actually has quite a few players from the area, not to mention a few of us here at STP. Please continue to keep sending good thoughts their way.

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