President Trump honors Army football team, ponders a 'Space Force' (Video)
The Army football team was honored Tuesday at the White House by President Donald Trump for winning the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy.
The Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy is awarded annually to the service academy — Air Force, Army or Navy — that emerges victorious against the other service academies on the football field. With wins over Air Force and Navy in 2017, Army took the trophy back to West Point for the first time since 1996 and was awarded with a trip to Washington D.C.
With the team standing behind him at the Rose Garden, Trump lauded the efforts of coach Jeff Monken and the 2017 Black Knights, who defeated Air Force for the first time since 2012, beat Army for the second year in a row and knocked off San Diego State in the Armed Forces Bowl to give the program its first 10-win season since the aforementioned ‘96 campaign.
Trump was especially impressed by the bowl win.
“The team had an amazing season, capping it off with a come from behind victory at the Armed Forces Bowl, a game I watched. That was a very exciting game,” Trump said. “That was old-fashioned football. Everybody counted you out, but you refused to give up. You scored 21 points in the fourth quarter alone. Your victory gave Army its second 10-win season in the entire history of Army football.”
Trump also made sure to compliment the win over Army, including the performance of quarterback Ahmad Bradshaw, who rushed for 1,746 yards in 2017.
“On that snowy day, you fought hard and came from behind and beat Navy for the second season in a row — the first time that it has happened in two decades,” Trump said. “That’s what you call a job well done.”
And when speaking about the military service ahead of the Army players, Trump said there could actually be a sixth branch of the Armed Forces on the horizon: “the Space Force.”
“You will be part of the five proud branches of the United States Armed Forces — Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, and the Coast Guard. And we’re actually thinking of a sixth, and that would be the Space Force. Does that make sense? The Space Force, General. You probably haven’t even heard that,” Trump said. “I’m just telling you now. This is perhaps — because we’re getting very big in space, both militarily and for other reasons, and we are seriously thinking of the Space Force.”
Following the president’s speech, Monken said he considers the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy to be “the most coveted award in all of college football.”
You can watch the full ceremony below:
– – – – – – –
Sam Cooper is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
More from Yahoo Sports:
• Trump comments hurt North American World Cup bid
• Marlins rookie throws 2018’s fastest pitch
• Baseball legend apologizes for distasteful #MeToo comments
• Brady appears to change tune on anthem kneeling
