In 2006, Deshaun Watson and his family were able to move into a new house in Gainesville, Georgia.
Watson's mother raised four children on her own, and they were provided the house through Warrick Dunn and his charity foundation, Warrick Dunn Charities. Dunn started the charity after becoming a star in the NFL, and he wanted to ensure needy families had homes after tragedy struck him as a teenager.
When Dunn was a senior in high school, his mother was shot and killed in an armed robbery. His mother was a police officer, and like Watson's mom, she was also a single mother. Dunn, who was 18 at the time, used her life insurance money to purchase a home for his five siblings, and he decided he would make sure families in similar situations would have the same security once he made it to the NFL.
Watson said Dunn's generosity was a "special moment."
"I felt grown having my own room," Watson said. "Just having my own bed, not really being squished, not really worrying about someone sneaking up on me, it was a great moment, a special moment."
Of course, Dunn didn't know the 11-year-old Watson would go on to win a national championship and be the top quarterback in the country, but his generosity helped Watson and his family at a young age.
"We just try to help put people in safer environments and give kids an opportunity," Dunn said. "You never know what impact you will have. You hope it's a positive impact."
Dunn's impact on several lives — including Watson's — has been tremendous. Warrick Dunn Charities has provided 152 families in affordable homes.
(h/t Pro Football Talk)
