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'She's My Mom. She's My Dad. She's My Grandma — She's Everything': Student Wins $10,000 Half-Court Shot And Gives Check To Grandma

October 4, 2016

After the half-court shot dropped through the net for $10,000, Kansas University student Jordan Stiers had one person on her mind as she wiped away tears.

"I was just thinking about my Nana and what I was going to do to help her," Stiers said. "I've always thought about that one question: 'If you win so much money, what are you going to do with it?' And she's helped me a lot in my life, so pay it forward."

Stiers' "Nana" is Roxanne Edwards, her paternal grandmother who rescued her from foster care at age 10. Edwards also volunteered to raise four of Stiers' siblings in her Independence, Mo., home.

"She took us in when things were tough," Stiers said. "It's been rough for her, but she's taken care of us, so I'm going to take care of her."

Stiers did not make the shot herself - contestants could pick any non-player in the building to shoot the shot for them - so she chose KU director of basketball operations Brennan Bechard.

After missing a practice shot, Bechard's official half-court try grazed the rim before going through the net.

That moment when you win $10,000 from Coach Self.#KUlatenight pic.twitter.com/iRf6KARbqL

— University of Kansas (@KUnews) October 2, 2016

A few minutes later, Self made out a $10,000 check to Stiers, then gave her a hug.

She won't keep the money for long, saying she was going to help her grandmother pay bills.

"I don't think she's going to believe me," Stiers said. "This kind of thing doesn't happen to people like us. She's probably going to cry, just like I did."

Stiers, who is the first one in her family to graduate high school and also to attend college, is a sophomore at KU and a resident assistant at Oswald Hall.

She pointed to her sister in the crowd after the shot went through. After that, she immediately thought back to Nana.

"She's my mom. She's my dad. She's my grandma — she's everything," Stiers said. "She has done so much for me, taught me so much.

"There's nothing I can do to repay her, but this will say thank you a little bit."

Source: KansasCity.com