"New Orleans Roots for Injured Player and Forgotten Program" by The New York Times
October 3rd, 2012
www.nytimes.com
By BRETT MICHAEL DYKES
Published: October 2, 2012
“NEW ORLEANS — In the weeks since Tulane safety Devon Walker sustained a devastating spinal injury against Tulsa, an unusual occurrence has taken place here: New Orleanians have rallied around the Tulane football program.
The team is a regular topic to be covered by the local news media. Tulane students have organized Walker-inspired rallies. Numerous hastily planned fund-raisers have resulted in considerable donations for Walker’s care. Locals who rarely, if ever, give even a passing thought to Tulane football have been talking about going to games. A home game against Mississippi on Sept. 22 drew a shade under 29,000 people — a colossal crowd by recent Tulane attendance standards — and people all over town that day could be seen wearing T-shirts in support of Walker.
This was a stark contrast to what you would have seen in New Orleans — home to Tulane, a private university, and its nearly 14,000 students — on the Saturday Walker was injured. You could have spent the entire day traversing the city and not come across a single person wearing Tulane apparel.”
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