Former Indiana football star was homeless; fundraiser helped him get an apartment

Sometimes, the smallest things lead to the biggest changes.In Sampson James’ case, it was a backpack.The former Indiana football star had been homeless for eight months. He lived on the streets of Austin and had little reason to be hopeful.Then, one afternoon, Jasper Steinmetz, a recent Indiana University graduate, walked past him and stopped. The red Indiana University athletic backpack was hard to miss. He had no idea that this homeless man was once a football star. They had a conversation that set off a chain of events and pulled James back from the edge.Within weeks, James received $17,000 in donations, a new apartment, and a second shot at a life that once seemed completely lost.A chance encounter that changed everythingJasper Steinmetz was walking along a path in Austin earlier this year. That’s when he spotted an unmistakable Indiana University athletic backpack. Steinmetz had recently graduated from IU himself.