Highlights of NFL Champions at the White House
September 05, 2012
05:00 PM EDT
You know summer is at a close and fall is upon us when the NFL regular season begins, and today, the Dallas Cowboys and last year’s NFL Champion New York Giants will kick-off the season at home.
This past June President Obama hosted the 2012 NFL Champion Giants at the White House to congratulate them on their victory -- just as he's hosted past champions, including the Steelers, the Saints, the Packers, and even the 1985 Chicago Bears.
In honor of tonight's kickoff, we've pulled together some highlights of NFL Champions’ visits to the White House. Check it out.
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President Obama throws a football on Soldier Field. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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Former Chicago Bears coach Mike Ditka and Buddy Ryan present a jersey to President Obama. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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President Obama welcomes the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants to the South Lawn. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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President Obama leans on a football while making a phone call in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
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President Obama receives a Green Bay Packers stock certificate from Charles Woodson at the White House. (Official White House Photo by Chuck Kennedy)
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The First Lady, Roger Goodell, Eddie George and Tony Dungy, huddle during a "Let's Move!" event. (Official White House Photo by Samantha Appleton)
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2012 NFL Champion New York Giants, June 8, 2012
The President honored the New York Giants for their Super Bowl victory before members of the Administration and Congress earlier this summer.
2011 NFL Champion Green Bay Packers, August 12, 2011
Despite his guests having beaten his hometown team, the Chicago Bears, for the title, the President commended the Packers both for their Super Bowl victory and for their service throughout the Green Bay community. The Packers created Fit Kids, a program to promote healthy living to fourth graders in the Green Bay area, offered scholarships to local students, and helped support American forces.
2010 NFL Champion New Orleans Saints, August 9, 2010
The President honored the New Orleans Saints for their Super Bowl victory and spoke of the role the team played in helping New Orleans recover from the devastation from Hurricane Katrina. The President also spoke of the work to cap the BP oil spill and of the Administration’s commitment to help the area and its fisheries recover.
In addition to being honored by the President for their Super Bowl championship, some of the Saints visited the White House kitchen for a cooking demonstration of honey bourbon glazed shrimp and andouille sausage skewers with Chef Sam Kass.
2009 NFL Champion Pittsburgh Steelers, May 21, 2009
President Obama welcomed the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers to the White House along with approximately 50 Wounded Warriors from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and National Naval Medical Center and their families to work with the USO assembling care packages for the troops.
1985 NFL Champion Chicago Bears, October 7, 2011
Twenty five years after their Super Bowl win, the 1985 Chicago Bears made it to the White House to be officially honored by the President. Some of the greats, including Super Bowl MVP Richard Dent, Jim McMahon, Otis Wilson and head coach Mike Ditka, made the trip from Chicago to be recognized in front of Chicago Bears fans, friends and family. The original trip was postponed following the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.
