SMU given sportsmanship award for helping Tulane

DALLAS (AP) Southern Methodist University's football team was honored with a national sportsmanship award tonight for helping the Tulane football team in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina last year.

Tuesday, October 31st 2006, 8:05 pm

By: News On 6

DALLAS (AP) Southern Methodist University's football team was honored with a national sportsmanship award tonight for helping the Tulane football team in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina last year.

The Awards and Recognition Association presented the team with the first ARA Sportsmanship Team Award.

Spike Dykes, former Texas Tech coach and ARA sportsmanship award selection panel member, presented the award to SMU athletic director Steve Orsini between the 1st and 2nd quarters of SMU's game with UAB.

SMU hosted fellow Conference USA member Tulane for three weeks after Katrina. SMU helped arrange for the Tulane team to stay at a hotel near the SMU campus and opened their weight room and practice field. They also shared their recruiting files with Tulane coaches after many of Tulane's recruiting files were destroyed in the hurricane.

ARA annually recognizes a collegiate football player for good sportsmanship on and off the field with its ARA Sportsmanship Award, but the selection committee made a special exception for SMU.