[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 43, Number 14 (Monday, April 9, 2007)]
[Pages 406-408]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
Remarks on Presenting the Commander in Chief's Trophy to the United 
States Naval Academy Midshipmen

April 2, 2007

    The President. Please be seated. Welcome to the Rose Garden. It 
seems to me that this is becoming a spring tradition. [Laughter] For the 
fourth year in a row, the football team from the Naval Academy is

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here to receive the Commander in Chief's Trophy--the Rose Garden should 
be called the ``Yard.''
    This year's team was among the Navy's best ever. That says a lot. 
This is a team that had the most rushing yards in the Nation. That says 
a lot. You had the highest graduation rate of any football team in the 
country. That says even more. You went 9 and 3. You made it to the bowl 
game. And you beat Army.
    I thank you all for coming. I appreciate members of the 
administration who have joined us: Deputy Secretary of the VA Gordon 
Mansfield; Secretary Don Winter of the Navy; General Pete Pace, Chairman 
of the Joint Chiefs of Staff--and, I might add, the first marine to 
serve in that capacity; Admiral G, Ed Giambastiani--that's hard for a 
Texan to say, but it's not hard to tell you how much I admire Admiral G 
and Pete Pace; Admiral Mike Mullen, Chief of Naval Operations, thank you 
for coming, Chief; General Jim Conway, Commandant of the Marine Corps; 
and Ellen Moyer, the mayor of Annapolis. We are glad you all are here, 
and Mayor, thanks for coming.
    Vice Admiral Rod Rempt--Rod, I notice that you gathered up my 
speech. [Laughter] Just remember, page three follows page two. 
[Laughter] But it's good to have you again.
    Vice Adm. Rodney P. Rempt. Sir, it's a pleasure to be here.
    The President. Coach Paul Johnson--you talk about a winner, this guy 
knows how to build winners. And, Coach, we're glad you're back. I'm 
proud to welcome you and your staff. I appreciate very much the members 
of the football team that have joined us, and I thank all of the Naval 
Academy supporters who are here.
    The Navy's fourth consecutive winning season may not sound like much 
to people who don't follow football, but it's a remarkable feat 
considering that the team was 0 and 10, 6 years ago. They showed up 10 
times; they played hard all 10 times; but they won 0 times. And here 
they are, standing in the Rose Garden with the Commander in Chief. It 
says a lot about resilience and a lot about determination and a lot 
about correcting past mistakes.
    Coach Johnson has put together a really good coaching staff, and I 
appreciate very much, Coach, you motivating these players toward 
championship--toward the championships that you've earned. The season 
started with three wins in a row, including a blowout over Stanford. You 
beat Air Force in Colorado Springs. You beat Army by 12 points, the 
fifth win in a row for the Naval Academy. They tell me that's a pretty 
big deal.
    You earned a spot in the Meineke Car Care Bowl--Meineke Car Care 
Bowl. Nevertheless, you played a big-time school: Boston College. Boston 
College is a football power, and it was a really great game. I watched 
it. I was impressed by the 322 yards you earned. I know you're 
disappointed with the one-point loss, but you can't be disappointed with 
the effort.
    I appreciate the fact that your class is the first in school history 
to win four straight Commander in Chief trophies, the first to go 8 and 
0 against Army and Air Force, and the first to play in four straight 
bowl games. That's a lot of firsts. Your class won 35 games in 4 years. 
The only Navy class to win more games graduated in 1909. I don't know 
whether William Howard Taft welcomed the team in 1909, but I can tell 
you, the 43d President is proud to welcome such champions here to the 
Rose Garden.
    One of the reasons your team was so successful this year, of course, 
is because you had a captain from Texas. [Laughter] Five different Navy 
players rushed for more than 100 yards in a game this season. That's 
more than any other team in the Nation. That's called a well-balanced 
attack.
    I appreciate the fact that one of your quarterbacks stepped in for 
an injured starter and went on to score four touchdowns in a single 
game. I would like to say his name; I'll probably bungle it. I'll just 
say, the guy is from Hawaii. [Laughter]
    I appreciate the fact that Keenan Little became the first player in 
Navy history to score defensive touchdowns against Air Force and Army in 
the same season. I'm proud to be up here with a fellow Texan from 
Lewisville, Texas--the mascot of one of the high school teams in 
Lewisville, believe it or not, is the ``Fighting Farmers.'' [Laughter] 
This guy was

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your fullback, Adam Ballard. He gained 134 yards against Air Force. When 
he was named MVP, he wisely--wisely--gave the credit to his offensive 
line. Smart move, Adam. [Laughter]
    You know, it's interesting--how would you like to be the punter on 
the Navy team who went full--two full games without showing up on the 
field? [Laughter] Veteto--Greg is his first name--was, like, the punter 
on the team, and for two games in a row, he was never used. And yet I 
think he didn't mind.
    The team had a special leader in Eddie Martin. I don't know if the 
country knows this, but he was diagnosed with cancer last year. He 
didn't play any games this year, but he always led the team out of the 
locker room for every home game. And so, Eddie, I appreciate the 
inspiration you've provided for your team and for the Academy. I know 
you're fighting a brave battle, and a lot of people will pray for your 
full recovery.
    When you signed up for the Naval Academy, you signed up for more 
than playing football. I'm glad Coach Johnson--I'm sure Coach Johnson 
was glad that you said, ``I want to be a football player at the Naval 
Academy.'' But you signed up to become officers in the finest military 
the world has ever known. And my job is to keep it that way, and I will. 
But you can't have the finest military the world has ever known without 
men and women who volunteer to wear the uniform, just like you've done.
    You volunteered after September the 11th, 2001. That's a remarkable 
decision you have made. I vowed after September 11th, 2001, that I would 
use the full power of our Government to protect the American people from 
harm, and I meant what I said. And therefore, anybody who signed up 
afterwards knew what they were getting into. It's a remarkable country 
when people make such a noble decision to serve their country in a time 
of war. And I'm proud to be the Commander in Chief of such decent, 
honorable, sacrificing men and women.
    The lessons you have learned on the football field and at the Naval 
Academy will serve you well on the battlefield. You learned the 
importance of teamwork and leadership and strong personal character. And 
you're going to put those qualities to the highest possible use, and 
that is to protect the American people and to lay the foundation of 
peace for generations to come.
    The Navy and Marine Corps are on the frontline of fighting and 
winning the war against the extremists, radicals who would do this 
country harm. Every day we're on the offense against an enemy. My 
attitude is, I would rather defeat them over there so we do not have to 
face them here. And the Marine Corps and the Navy are helping to lead 
that charge. The sailors and marines on the high sea are sending a clear 
message to the world that we stand for strength, and we stand for peace.
    Former Navy football players have distinguished themselves in the 
line of duty. Marine First Lieutenant Brian Stann comes to mind, the 
class of '03. He won the Silver Star. We also have some of the former 
Navy football players lose their lives: Ron Winchester of '01; J.P. 
Blecksmith of the class of '03; another gave his life in flight over the 
Pacific, Navy Lieutenant Commander Scott Zellem, the class of '91. The 
United States of America will not forget their sacrifices. We will 
complete our missions so that their sacrifices will not have gone in 
vain.
    It is such an honor to welcome such fine men to the Rose Garden. I'm 
proud to be standing with you. I thank you for your service to our 
country. I appreciate the fact that you're good football players. But, 
more importantly, I appreciate the fact that you're good Americans.
    God bless.

Note: The President spoke at 2:35 p.m. in the Rose Garden at the White 
House. In his remarks, he referred to Vice Adm. Rodney P. Rempt, USN, 
superintendent, U.S. Naval Academy; and Kaipo-Noa Keheaku-Enhada, 
quarterback, Kennan Little, strong safety, and Eddie Martin, running 
back, U.S. Naval Academy football team.