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Michigan State football players spend off week in Houston helping clean up

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Episcopal coach Steve Leisz, left, and his wife had some unexpected assistance from Michigan to help with cleanup.
Episcopal coach Steve Leisz, left, and his wife had some unexpected assistance from Michigan to help with cleanup.Courtesy photo

It was quite the moment when the bus pulled up at Steve Leisz's home in west Houston. Ten football players from Michigan State University piled out, ready to go.

Leisz, the football coach at Episcopal High School, immediately recognized one of the players. He had coached against Tyler Higby, a sophomore offensive lineman for the Spartans who played for Episcopal rival Kinkaid.

This time, they were meeting off the field in a completely different situation.

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Higby was back in Houston to help his hometown clean up in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Leisz and his family lost the entire downstairs of their home to the flooding in the wake of Harvey.

Now, a group of college football players from across the country were volunteering to do whatever they could to help out during their team's off week after already having played two games this season.

"It was something," Leisz said. "It was something really special."

Higby, feeling helpless like so many others, could only watch from afar.

As the national news showed images of the devastation in the Houston area, he recognized parts of the city that he knew well - an intersection near his home, his high school football field and a restaurant he frequented. All were under water.

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And there he was in East Lansing, Mich., seemingly too far away to be of any help.

In the midst of studying for classes and preparing for Michigan State's next game, Higby constantly was texting with his family in Houston, hoping for the best.

Higby and Darrell Stewart Jr., a sophomore wide receiver for the Spartans who played at Nimitz, talked frequently and supported each other as they watched the havoc back home.

A week or so after Harvey moved out of Houston area, Higby and Stewart heard that a group from the university's Athletes in Action organization was planning a trip to Houston to volunteer their services.

It was going to happen during the Spartans' week off, and both players were quick to get on board.

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And they weren't alone. Eight of their teammates signed up as well. The 10, along with group leader Phil Gillespie and his son, made the trip. They arrived Friday and hit the ground running.

The players moved furniture, ripped up carpet and tore out drywall. For two days, they did everything they could to help families in the area.

"Being here and seeing the damage up close is tough," Higby said. "You look around, and you see that there is so much work to be done. This is going to take a long time."

Higby and his family were among the fortunate whose homes were spared. Water came right up to the front door and stopped. Stewart's family also fared well during the storm.

Because of their good fortune, the players knew they needed to do what they could to pitch in and help their city recover.

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"I knew right away that I wanted to be here," Stewart said. "What was really cool, though, was that so many of our teammates came, too."

During the most intense time of the season for a major college football player, their teammates did not hesitate to forgo a rare week of spare time and lend a helping hand to people they didn't know.

"I think that says a lot about the Spartan family," Stewart said. "It makes me feel really good to be a part of a team like this and to know that the people around me care so much."

The players were not seeking publicity for their humanitarian deeds. In fact, the athletic department at Michigan State did not publicize the trip. The school just organized the event and made it happen. And all 12 in the group stayed at Higby's house in what Gillespie described as a giant slumber party.

The group spent Friday working at Leisz's home before heading to Angleton on Saturday. Everyone was back in Michigan by Sunday night.

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What the Spartans did for the community was special. It was a lot to squeeze into two days, but it meant so much more than the players will ever know.

"They weren't just there helping," Leisz said. "They were upbeat and happy to be there. They were high-fiving, and they were excited like they were at a game. It was a great attitude.

"You could tell it meant something to them to give back. It wasn't just something they had to do. They wanted to do it. That goes such a long way."

Higby said he wished he could have stayed longer and done more.

"I'm so glad we were able to make this happen," he said. "Being here and being able to help, even just a little bit, is much better than being so far away and not being able to do anything.

"I hope everyone can find time to help as much as they can while Houston gets back on its feet."

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