Villanova's Return To Campus Was Fit For A Champion
By Ray Boyd
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- When Kris Jenkins hit "the shot," to lift the Villanova Wildcats to a national title, he set the wheels in motion. What he started was the celebration of greatness.
The players dog-piled on the court. The fans jumped for joy in the crowd and Jay Wright looked like the smoothest man on earth as he allowed the moment to fall over him.
That was what took place in Texas.
When the Wildcats returned home on Tuesday, they were more than well received by their fans. Members of Nova Nation waited at Philadelphia International Airport to see their team return to the city. Current students, future students, alumni and parents made up the group of individuals who wanted to be the first to see the team's plane touch down.
"We could not be more thrilled for this team and for Jay Wright," said Courtney as she waited for the plane to arrive with her young son. She received her undergrad from Villanova and went to law school there as well.
She spoke about how she hopes that her son will one day be a Wildcat as well.
When the plane arrived, it was greeted by water being sprayed into the air in the shape of an inverted "V," to pay homage to a team that overcame the stigma that they couldn't exceed expectations.
Then the drive began to Villanova Stadium. A motorcade procession, led by authorities escorted the team back to their fans who waited for them to arrive. Sections of I-95 were shut down. Cars on the opposite side of the road stopped and acknowledged the passing buses. Helicopters flew overhead.
Once the bus arrived at Villanova Stadium, the players became rock stars. Wright took the mic, just a collected and as in control as he was when Jenkins' game-winner tickled the twine.
The basketball team gave a great gift to Nova Nation, but the coach thanked the fans.
There is somewhat of a complicated connection to Villanova in this town, especially if you went to St. Joe's, Penn, Drexel, La Salle, or like the author of this piece, Temple. Whether you were rooting for Villanova to win it all or not, you have to admit that they deserved the wonderful reception they got on Tuesday.
It was fitting for a team and a coach that played the game the right way, conducted themselves the right way and represent this region the right way.
