Deshaun Watson's championship dream came true with help from former NFL star

NEW YORK -- It was a dream-come-true ending for Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson: A touchdown pass on the last play to win college football’s national championship.

“I am just thankful for the people who I have around me, believing in me,” Watson said after Monday night’s game.

But actually, Watson’s dream came true long before, in 2006 when he was 11, and his family was able to move to a better life.

“I was in a government apartment, a lot of bad influence around. It wasn’t something that everyone wanted to stay in for the rest of their life,” he said.

Deshaun and his family were one of more than 150 helped by former pro-football star Warrick Dunn’s charity. 

Dunn partners with Habitat For Humanity to make home ownership a realty for single parents.

“I just try to provide an opportunity for stability,” Dunn said.

It is how Dunn honors his mother’s memory. She was an off-duty Baton Rouge, Louisiana police officer killed during a robbery. At 18, he became the guardian of five siblings, using his mom’s life insurance to buy a home for them and learning early about the stability a home can provide.

“It gives them opportunity to reach for their dreams and to change their outcome of their future,” Dunn said.

A nice story a decade ago became a great story Monday night.

“A dream came true, and all the success has been coming and blessings been coming through,” Watson said.

Just ask the guy living the dream, now building Habitat houses with his Clemson teammates so others can live theirs.