Former NFL running back Warrick Dunn lost his mom, a police officer, in the line of duty when he was a senior in high school. As the oldest of five siblings, and with a dad out of the picture, Dunn took his mom’s life insurance money and bought a house to raise his four siblings in.

Once he reached the NFL, he vowed to help get single parent families into affordable homes. Since creating Warrick Dunn Charities, he has placed 152 families into furnished homes.

One of the families his work has helped? None other than Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson, who led his team to a national championship on Monday.

“I felt grown having my own room,” Watson recalled Saturday. “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.” …

Watson’s mother, Deann, raised four kids on her own, the early years spent huddled in a cramped apartment in Gainesville, Ga. One day, Deshaun brought home a note from Habitat for Humanity, laying out a path to home ownership. She jumped at the chance, and put in some 300 hours helping build new houses before they could move in.

When that day finally arrived — Nov. 21, 2006 — Dunn was there with a special surprise. Through his charitable foundation, the ex-running back had fully furnished the four-bedroom, two-bath home, right down to stocking the refrigerator. (Associated Press)

Here’s a photo floating around on Twitter of an 11-year-old Watson posing with Dunn and his family.

Talk about keys (literally) to giving children a stable foundation.