The LSU and USC football teams finally met on the same grounds Tuesday, although neither team was suited up to play a football game.
The south lawn of the White House played host to a ceremony in which President George W. Bush spoke to several national championship teams from the past year, including the BCS National Champion Tigers and the University of Southern California Trojans — who won the Associated Press national title.
“This is champions’ day here at the White House,” Bush said. “And it is my honor to welcome some great champs.”
The football players who attended, about 95 in all, the coaching staff and University administrators spent about two hours at the White House Tuesday afternoon, said Michael Bonnette, LSU sports information director.
The team travelled to Washington because they won the national championship and it has become common for the White House to invite champions for the president to give congratulations in person, Bonnette said. The baseball team went a few years ago along with some others in the past.
Members of Congress attended the president’s speech and also met with the football team afterward to visit and take a picture.
“As you can probably see, we’ve got some members of the United States Congress with us here today,” Bush said. “And there seems to be quite a large and vibrant delegation from the great state of Louisiana.”
Senators John Breaux and Mary Landrieu were present, along with the state’s U.S. Representatives Richard Baker, Jim McCrery, Chris John and Rodney Alexander.
Bush said it was his honor to recognize the football co-champs this year. He called them a fantastic group of athletes and teams with good players and really good coaches.
“Pete Carroll and Nick Saban are two of the finest coaches in the United States,” Bush said.
Along with meeting with the president and the Louisiana delegation, the team also enjoyed an hour of sight-seeing at different Washington attractions including the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, Bonnette said.
“One of the great memories I have from when I was a kid was going to Washington D.C. and experiencing our nation’s capitol,” Saban said in a sports information press release Monday.
Saban said the team was looking forward to meeting the president and were going to “try to make a day of it.” He said about 90 percent of the players had never been to the Capitol.
Senior offensive tackle Rodney Reed presented President Bush with an LSU jersey with the number one and “Bush” written across the back.
“Anytime you can be invited to a place like the White House and be recognized by the president it is pretty special,” Bonnette said. “This is another opportunity to take advantage of the football title and put LSU on a national stage.”
Along with honoring the LSU and USC football teams, the president gave his congratulations to the USC Lady Trojans volleyball team, the University of North Carolina women’s soccer team and the Indiana University Hoosier men’s soccer team.