Lifetime of sacrifices led to moment of glory for Villanova's Kris Jenkins
HOUSTON-- Late Tuesday, the Villanova Wildcats returned to campus outside Philadelphia -- ascollege basketball's national champions.
The loudest cheers were for Kris Jenkins, whose last-second shot beat North Carolina.
The shot of the night looked like it would be from UNC's Marcus Paige, with less than five seconds left, to tie the game.
But Paige held that honor for about four seconds.
Kris Jenkins' game winning three-pointer left his opponents stunned.
"I just stood there, I didn't know what to do and before I knew it, I ended up on the ground because my teammates tackled me," Kris said.
One of those who was stunned was Kris' brother, Nate Britt.
"He just told me how happy he was for me and you know. How he was upset that they lost, but he was happy I was the one that made the shot," Kris said.
Felicia Jenkins is Kris' birth mother. In 2007, she faced a personal crisis and decided Kris needed a more stable home.
At the time, Kris and Nate were close friends and played basketball together. So Nate's parents, Nate Senior and Melody Britt said they would adopt him.
Last night, both families savored the moment.
"It was never about the game," Melody said. "It was about helping someone else that needed help."
And look at him now.
"Ask and he will tell you just what it means to him," Felicia said.
How much of this victory was for his family?
"I mean, all of it. Because if it wasn't for my family, I wouldn't have made it," Kris said. "I owe them everything."
A lifetime of sacrifices leading to a moment of glory.
