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          Texans return to Houston, hope to help with flood relief right away

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          Texans excited to be back in Houston (1:04)

          Texans head coach Bill O'Brien reacts to the efforts his team has made, led by J.J. Watt, to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey and what it means to lend a helping hand. (1:04)

          • Sarah Barshop, ESPN Staff WriterAug 31, 2017, 07:00 AM ET
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              Sarah Barshop covers the Los Angeles Rams for ESPN. She joined ESPN in 2016 to cover the Green Bay Packers for ESPN Milwaukee. She then moved to Houston to cover the Texans. She came to ESPN after working as a writer and editor for Sports Illustrated. You can follow her on Twitter @sarahbarshop.
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          FRISCO, Texas -- On Wednesday evening, the Houston Texans arrived at NRG Stadium after a week on the road.

          The team arrived by bus from the Dallas area, where the Texans had been since they flew in from New Orleans early Sunday morning following Saturday's preseason loss to the Saints. Now that they’re back, the Texans hope they can get right to helping Houston get back on its feet in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

          As the Texans stepped off the bus, head coach Bill O’Brien got a reminder of what some people in the area were going through when he saw that the NRG Center was being used as a shelter.

          “It does hit home,” O’Brien said. “I just saw there’s over 1,500 people there and probably more on the way.

          “We have plans to go to the George [R.] Brown [Convention] Center and to do things around Houston, I know this weekend. We definitely will be involved with handing out supplies, trying to help people and just brighten people's days.”

          Texans defensive end J.J. Watt got the process underway over the weekend when he started an online fundraiser for flood relief in Houston. As of Wednesday night, Watt had raised nearly $9 million, which he said he has already begun to use to help those in need.

          “We’re filling the semitrucks as we speak. Many people have donated their trucks, their time, donated food, water, clothing, generators, things like that,” Watt said. “We’re going to get those trucks down here by this weekend ... the tentative plan is Sunday we’re going to have a bunch of my teammates help me out in a few different locations around town to be determined, and we’re going to hand out those supplies.

          “We’re basically trying to find (A) the safest areas we can get to -- obviously we don’t want to put anybody in danger -- but then (B) the areas that need it the absolute most. So, we’re going to try and set up -- literally, it’s going to be open up the back of a semitruck and start handing out water, start handing out clothes.”

          Along with all the organization plans to do to help in the community, O’Brien said he hopes the Texans' regular-season home opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars can provide some healing as well.

          “We can’t wait to play in front of this crowd,” O’Brien said. “We know it’s going to be so loud in that stadium right there on Sept. 10 that roof might come off. We’re excited about that and we’re excited about being able to go out on the field and maybe give these people a lot to cheer for over the next few months here.”