[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1996, Book I)]
[February 13, 1996]
[Pages 245-246]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Remarks to the 1996 Super Bowl Champion Dallas Cowboys
February 13, 1996

    Please be seated. Mr. Hill, it's good to see you. Ladies and 
gentlemen, welcome to the White House. It's a great pleasure and honor 
for me to welcome Jerry Jones and his family and Coach Switzer and the 
entire Dallas Cowboys team, the coaches, the staff. Welcome back to the 
White House. This is beginning to be boring for them, I think. 
[Laughter]
    But this is the only thing that happens at the White House as 
regularly as the State of the Union Address. In some ways, it's better. 
It's shorter--[laughter]--and there's no response. [Laughter]
    I think everyone in America knows the remarkable record of the 
Dallas Cowboys, is well aware that they have won the Super Bowl 3 out of 
the last 4 years and that makes eight

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trips to the Super Bowl and five victories. This year I thought was 
especially important for the team, and Jerry Jones said so after the 
victory over Pittsburgh, I might add, a hard-won victory and an 
excellent game. And the Steelers put up a great fight.
    But Jerry must have been thinking about the injuries the team had 
overcome, the fact that there were two losses in December. And I have to 
say to my longtime friend and fellow Arkansan Barry Switzer--he was 
second-guessed so much, for a while I thought people had mistaken him 
for the President. [Laughter]
    I want to congratulate everyone who played on this team: Emmitt 
Smith for his remarkable record-setting 25-touchdown year--be a long 
time before that's--[applause] I congratulate those who are here and 
those who are not here, Troy Aikman, all the receivers, the defensive 
backs.
    But I would be remiss, as someone who understands what it's like to 
get the limelight all the time, when you're backed by a team that 
deserves the credit and they don't often get it--that's the way 
Presidents are. I'm always up giving the speeches, always getting the 
credit. But as somebody who has been a footfall fan ever since I was old 
enough to know what the football looked like, I don't believe I've ever 
seen a team play better, from tackle to tackle, on offense and defense, 
as the line did for the Dallas Cowboys in the closing games from the 
playoffs up to the Super Bowl. They were awesome, and they deserve a lot 
of the credit as well.
    I want to say a special word, too, to Charles Haley, who came back 
from all of his injuries and played in the Super Bowl. It was wonderful 
to see him on the field. And if he wasn't out of pain, he sure hid it. 
And if you can play in pain, you can run for public office. [Laughter] 
It's something you might consider.
    I also want to say a special word of appreciation--I think all 
Americans and people who are fans of the Cowboys and people who are fans 
of the Steelers were glad to see the performance that Larry Brown put 
into the Super Bowl that won him the MVP award, especially after he lost 
his young son. I think every parent in America identified with it and 
admired his courage as well as his performance.
    So this was a good year for the Dallas Cowboys. But because of the 
way they won and the way they played and the obstacles they overcame, it 
was a good year for professional football and for reminding us all that 
talent is never enough. You also have to want to win. You have to have 
the courage to accept adversity and overcome it when you face it. And 
you have to keep going when the going gets tough. This year the Dallas 
Cowboys did just that. And every one of us in America can cheer them for 
that great accomplishment.
    So, congratulations. We're glad to have you at the White House.

Note: The President spoke at 5:05 p.m. in the East Room at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Dallas Cowboys former player 
Calvin Hill, owner Jerry Jones, and quarterback Troy Aikman.