Falcons' Dunn focused on two worlds

By Brian Murphy TELEGRAPH STAFF WRITER

FLOWERY BRANCH - Despite his on-going efforts to organize NFL players' relief efforts for victims of Hurricane Katrina, Atlanta Falcons running back Warrick Dunn returned to the business of football Monday.

Dunn and the Falcons open their 2005 season Monday night against defending NFC champion Philadelphia at the Georgia Dome.

"I've been through so much that I know when it's time to work, work. When you're away, take care of other things," said Dunn, whose police officer mother was shot and killed in 1993, leaving behind six children.

"You've got to have a strong mind just to play this game. Any distractions off the field, you have to put it to the back. Once you step on the field it has to be about football. That's my time to get away and concentrate on my job. Once I'm away, take care of everything else."

There's plenty going on right now for Dunn, a Baton Rouge, La., native. Much of his family lives in New Orleans, including several cousins that he still has not heard from in the week since Katrina pounded the Gulf Coast and set off massive flooding in New Orleans.

Last week, Dunn, the NFL Man of the Year, called on his fellow players to donate $5,000 each to the relief efforts. His comments and ties to the area have made him an unofficial clearinghouse for friends.

"If someone knows me and they have a friend that's there, I've gotten a phone call," Dunn said.

Dunn has been in contact with players throughout the league and is working with the players' association to get the effort rolling.

"I just tried to tell them that if we do things together we can touch more people and get more done," Dunn said. "A lot of people around the country have done a lot of things, but you never know if it's enough. ... It's not just homes. They need to rebuild their lives."

The eight-year NFL veteran did not play in Thursday's preseason finale at Miami because head coach Jim Mora did not feel Dunn was emotionally ready for the game. Monday, it was evident that the events in Louisiana are still a major concern for Dunn.

"I'm frustrated. I have my own opinions about the government and how long it's take to get in," he said. "It's been an embarrassment. We're a better country than that. The fact that they call citizens 'refugees,' that's a disgrace."

The Falcons are still working on their plan for donating to the relief efforts.