Will Richard and the Florida Gators had secured the National Championship and during the celebration, one of the most heartwarming moments was caught on camera. Following Florida’s thrilling 65-63 victory over Houston on Monday, senior guard Will Richard gifted a young fan his game-worn shoes.
Moments after helping the Gators secure their third NCAA men’s basketball title, Richard walked over to the stands and signed his shoes, then gave it to a young fan eagerly waiting by the rail. The emotional scene was captured in a video and shared by CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander on X on Tuesday.
“This kid just got Will Richard’s shoes — signed — from the national championship game,” the caption said.
Will Richard put up an impressive team-high 18 points in the final and added eight rebounds and two assists, while shooting 50.0% in 33 minutes. Richard’s performance helped Florida recover from a 12-point deficit and secure the program’s first championship since 2007.
“I couldn’t have scripted it any better,” Richard said. “This is special. This is what you dream of, this is what you put all the work in for, so it’s special to see it come to fruition.”
This title win was also the first basketball title for the Southeastern Conference since Kentucky in 2012.
Florida’s Will Richard talks about the March Madness run
After Will Richard’s intense final moments of the title game, he appeared on "Good Morning America" on Tuesday. Richard described the pressure of defending in the final seconds of Florida’s 65-63 victory over Houston and the feeling of hearing the final buzzer finally.
“I swear it was the longest 19 seconds of my life,” Richard said. “I was just trying to make it hard for them to score. I heard the siren go off, and it was special, just feeling that feeling and being able to celebrate with your teammates in that moment, and your family.”
Florida’s win marked the program’s third national championship and its first since the back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007. It was a dramatic finish, with Houston having one last chance to win or tie the game as Florida’s defense held strong and prevented Houston from even getting a shot off.
“We were all confident,” Richard said. “That just goes back to show how connected we are. We have a chance to win a game no matter what the situation is. We were poised, calm, and collected during that time and rallied back.”
Over three seasons at Florida, Richard averaged 11.8 points and 4.4 rebounds across 108 games and winning a title in his final outing made it all the more meaningful. Will Richard’s legacy at Florida and his clutch performance on college basketball’s biggest stage will be remembered.
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