FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (Aug. 29, 2006) -- Jarvis Green spent the week after Hurricane Katrina trying to get in touch with his family and the year since then trying to help those devastated by the destruction.
Visiting the elderly and the displaced, providing food and toys for children, or just posing for pictures and signing autographs, the Donaldsonville, La., native has done what he can for his battered home state. Green's work was honored at the New England Patriots ' kickoff dinner with the team's community service award.
"We can't help everybody," he told reporters in the team's locker room before practice. "But if we can help one person, we've done a lot."
The 27-year-old defensive lineman rode out Hurricane Andrew in 1992 with his brother and 73-year-old grandfather. They were without power for 10 days.
Donaldsonville, which is about 30 miles inland from New Orleans, escaped the major flooding from Katrina. School was out for a week and most residents opened their homes to friends and family from the swamped city.
Green was in New Orleans in October and saw a ghost town.
"I was crying from the day I left," he said, sniffling and choking up as he spoke.
Green was among the Patriots who visited people who relocated from the Gulf Coast to Otis Air National Guard Base on Cape Cod. He also organized a fund to recognize unheralded Louisiana natives who help Katrina victims.
He decided he should get more involved while watching offensive lineman Joe Andruzzi collect his community service award in 2003. Now he hopes other Patriots follow his lead.
"Hopefully, they'll see this just the way I saw that and feel that they can do something," he said.
Green is one of five LSU players on the Patriots, along with running back Kevin Faulk, cornerback Randall Gay, defensive end Marquise Hill and linebacker Eric Alexander. Cornerback Eric Warfield is from Vicksburg, Miss.; kicker Stephen Gostkowski is from Madison, Miss.; and CB Antwain Spann went to Louisiana-Lafayette.
"We have a lot of guys from LSU and from that area," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "It's such a good football area that probably every team in the league either had players from one of those colleges or players that grew up in that area."
Green's good works weren't limited to hurricane relief. He also spoke to students about education, took part in the state's Nurse Appreciation Day, and escorted neglected children on a Christmas shopping spree.
