When a game is just a game

For the past week, all but one of the 70 players on the IU football roster have had nothing but Saturday's home opener on their minds. That one is senior wide receiver Rhett Kleinschmidt, but nobody has blamed him for focusing on other matters.\nKleinschmidt is a native of Metairie, La., a town just seven miles east of New Orleans, and a town left standing in a pool of water after Hurricane Katrina rocked the Gulf Coast early Monday morning.\nFor him, football is merely an escape.\n"Last week football helped out and it provided a two or three hour block where I could come and try to think about something else," Kleinschmidt said. "When I'm away from the field it's hard to think about football because of what's going on down there. It helped, and it was hard to focus earlier in the week."\nLast Tuesday, Kleinschmidt's mother and sister fled from Metairie to Thibodaux, La., to stay with relatives. He said he now feels a bit more comfortable with the situation knowing they are all together, and out of harm's way.\n"They've all been cramping in and just trying to make the best of the situation," Kleinschmidt said. "They actually got power back in their town, so they are very fortunate. Once I got word that everyone was OK and as long as they were safe, anything else that would have happened (with football) was an afterthought."\nKleinschmidt said IU head coach Terry Hoeppner and the rest of the football team have rallied around him during the past week to help him get through the difficult time. Players, such as wide receiver James Hardy, have expressed their support for him and his family and tried to maintain a positive attitude.\n"It's been just a lot of talking to him lately," Hardy said. "He says his family is fine and they're safe. We're keeping him and his family in our thoughts and prayers and trying to keep him in high spirits."\nKleinschmidt said he has been able to use football as a distraction and feels it has helped him cope with the situation. He has not missed a practice in the past week. Last week, Kleinschmidt traveled with the team to Central Michigan and was on the sidelines during the team's victory.\n"It's surreal just watching it on TV," Kleinschmidt said. "I think it would be different if I was more involved in the situation, but I just can't believe that it's happening. You just figure it'll never happen and we'll be here forever."\nNicholls State University, also located in Thibodaux, has experienced its own problems because of Hurricane Katrina. Kleinschmidt said he understands what the school is going through and hopes the Colonels will be able to make the trip to Bloomington.\n"I would be extremely disappointed if Nicholls State couldn't come," Kleinschmidt said. "I've been looking forward to this game ever since they put it on the schedule. I know what they're going through, and I'm sure a lot of those guys are really struggling with some things right now as far as not knowing a lot about what's going on, and I can respect that."\nIn the meantime, while his family is still trying to get back on its feet, Kleinschmidt hopes to aid the recuperation process even though he's 800 miles away.\n"There's so many ways to get involved," Kleinschmidt said. "I'm going to try and do some things in Bloomington. I was approached by a member of a sorority about a fund-raiser event and she asked for my help. I'm willing to do all kinds of stuff like that to help out"