Katrina weighs on UCLA’s Horton

UCLA star safety Chris Horton was in Los Angeles when he watched his hometown get swept away.

He knew his mother, Kim James, had evacuated New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina hit in August 2005, at a cost of more than 1,800 lives.

He didn't know if his great-grandfather, George Falley, had survived. Falley, who stayed behind as the waters rose, would be found dead several months later.

"It was definitely a tough time not being able to communicate with his family and knowing the devastation that occurred down there," fellow UCLA safety Dennis Keyes said. "It was hard for him, but I was there to keep him positive and to keep his spirits up.

"He's able to stay strong and stay positive and always think of the best outcomes. He's not a negative guy at all."

Not only did Horton stay strong, he didn't lose focus on football, continuing to improve. Now he's the marquee player in the Las Vegas Bowl.

UCLA (6-6) will play No. 19 Brigham Young (10-2) at 5 p.m. Saturday at Sam Boyd Stadium.

Horton, a 6-foot-1-inch, 216-pound senior, played well enough this season to become a Sporting News first-team All-American. He has 83 tackles, including seven for loss, with three sacks.

UCLA interim coach DeWayne Walker said it's premature to speculate where Horton might go in the NFL Draft, but he should be able to make the transition to the next level.

"He's a solid eight-man-front safety," Walker said. "We run a pro-style defense, so I don't think schematically it's going to be a problem for him picking up schemes. But I think his greatest attribute is putting him in the box and -- we call him 'the thug' -- to deal with that run game."

With one more game to play, Horton said he will turn his attention to the NFL later.

"I've got to make it out of this game healthy and with a win," Horton said.

As important as it would be to beat the Cougars, Horton knows it won't bring back his 90-year-old great-grandfather, who refused to leave the city he loved. His name is tattooed on Horton's chest.

"He was like a young 90," Horton said. "He'd walk all day -- no canes. He was amazing. I was really close. I'd go over there at times after school and just hang out, and he loved talking football. He really wanted me to go to Miami, but I was like, 'Pops, I can't do it.' "

The storm also took away many irreplaceable items, such as baby pictures Horton will never see again.

But his mother is alive, and she returned to New Orleans after spending a year in Houston. James moved back to her old home, but since relocated across the street.

Horton was on the other side of the country when the hurricane hit, but he still feels its effects.

Many friends never returned, and New Orleans -- one of the nation's most vibrant cities -- is still trying to dig out.

"It's not the same," Horton said.

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2914.