Goodell joined Texans owner Bob McNair in a pre-game ceremony before kickoff to honor Hurricane Ike Relief workers before the team's home opener.

The Texans Helping Texans relief effort, which received a $500,000 contribution from the NFLPA matched the amount that McNair had put up and announced that the fund had generated $2.45 million.

"It's a great privilege to be a part of this, but more importantly, to support Bob, who is a great leader in this community," Commissioner Goodell said. "We know how important the Texans are to Houston. I thought it would be appropriate for me to come down."

"This is an important game for the city."

In addition to making a personal appearance, Goodell announced the running of several PSA's (Public Service Announcements) from the Bush-Clinton Gulf Coastal Fund, on behalf of former presidents George Bush and Bill Clinton.

The ads ran during every game that was played over the weekend.

Goodell and McNair held a brief press conference prior to the game in the Texans auditorium. Several questions were asked about the possibility of Houston getting another Super Bowl in the near future.

"Houston put together a very strong bid," Goodell said. However, they went up against some pretty strong competition. The Super Bowl they held here in 2004 was a terrific experience, a very positive one, for the NFL."

"I would encourage Houston to continue seeking the game."

PricewaterhouseCoopers, the international accounting firm, contributed $150,000 to the "Texans Helping Texans" campaign. There donation helped to push the total amount raised in the campaign to $2.45 million, surpassing the goal of $2 million through NFL, corporate and private donations.

Here is a list of the Helping Hands Contributors:

Houston Texans/Bob McNair, NFL/NFLPA       $500,000
Chevron Corporation                                          $250,000
PricewaterhouseCoopers                                    $150,000
Amegy Bank,H-E-B,Hines,Williams,Kroger        $100,000
Hilcorp,Comcast,Phillip Burguieres                      $100,000
Indianapolis Colts/Jim Irsay                                   $50,000
David Weekly Homes,Cal McNair                        $50,000
Asia Chemical, SCI,UPS, Academy Sports           $25,000