Ex-NFL Player Is Changing Lives Of Single Parents

Football fans will remember Warrick Dunn as an undersized running back who was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy before carving out a 12-year NFL career.

But to 145 single parents, Dunn is so much more than a football player -- he's a hero who changed their lives.

That's because Dunn, through his Warrick Dunn Charities, has given away 145 homes to single-parent families. Dunn finds families deserving a free home through a partnership with Habitat for Humanity, rewarding those families with a home, furniture, and assistance to make the down-payment as homeowners.

The needs of single parents hits close to home. Dunn was raised by a single mother until January 7, 1993, when his mother, Betty Smothers, was killed by armed robbers. His mother was working as an off-duty police officer and was escorting someone to a bank to make a deposit at night.

Two days after Dunn turned 18, he became the head of his household and raised his siblings, all while attending Florida State and building a successful career in the NFL.

Now, he's able to give similar support to single parents through a very impressive charity:

Dunn is one of the best stories there is in professional sports, and long after his retirement, he continues to give back in a big way.