- 4/14/2025
President Trump hosts Ohio State’s National Championship Football Team at the White House.
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00Thank you very much.
02:10Ladies and gentlemen, the President of the United States, accompanied by the Vice President
02:15of the United States, and Ryan Day, head coach of the Ohio State University Buckeyes.
02:56That's a good-looking group behind me.
03:20They're big.
03:21We're not going to get into any place with them, I can guarantee you.
03:24So I want to just congratulate everybody, because you have done some job, man.
03:30But today is my great honor to welcome the 2024 College Football National Champion to the Ohio State University.
03:46I'm going to say January 20th was a big day for all of us.
03:51It was true.
03:54That was a big day.
03:56I love that day.
03:59I don't forget that day.
04:01To Ohio State President Ted Carter.
04:04Ted, where is Ted?
04:05Ted, congratulations.
04:07Good job, Ted.
04:09Atlantic Director Ross Bjork.
04:13Ross, where is Ross?
04:16Hi, Ross.
04:18Congratulations.
04:19Did you know that we're this good?
04:23He said, absolutely.
04:24That's a good answer.
04:25To Coach Ryan Day, who, and I have to read this, because this is not part of it, but I think he made it in the briefing.
04:32I knew how good a coach.
04:33I didn't know he was that good.
04:35It's Ryan Day, head coach of the Ohio State University.
04:39So here's this little summary.
04:40Ryan was named head coach in December 2018.
04:43Think of this.
04:44First of all, he's a very young-looking guy.
04:46He's got a lot of time left.
04:47In his six seasons as head coach, Day has led the team to nine championship wins.
04:54You don't do that.
04:55He's currently the only coach to lead his team to the college football class four times since 2019.
05:02And his first season as head coach and coach, his overall coaching record, 70 and 10.
05:08So in other words, Ryan, I'd like to be your agent.
05:11I want to run this one.
05:13And he won the big one, right?
05:14He won the big one.
05:15That's the biggest of them all.
05:17That's fantastic.
05:18Let me have you.
05:19We want to thank you and congratulate you.
05:31This building behind you, there's nothing like it.
05:33I have a lot of buildings.
05:35This is the one.
05:37This one you can't beat.
05:40The White House.
05:41And I think, you know, the coach was all excited about it.
05:44I threw it out just hoping that it wouldn't be a big deal.
05:48I said, you know, coach, if you'd like, but only if you'd like, don't worry about it.
05:52We could take the team down to the Oval Office and show them what the Oval Office is.
05:56Because it is a bad guy.
05:57And I don't know if the floor can withstand it, but we're going to do that.
06:05And, you know, I've done some Trump touches to the Oval Office.
06:09It's a little nicer than it used to be, I think.
06:12Most people in Latinx, are you right about that?
06:16No, it's special.
06:17Everything begins, ends, and re-begins at the Oval Office.
06:21And so we're going to take the team down there, right?
06:23The one who finished, okay?
06:24If anyone doesn't want to go, that would be okay.
06:26Who's going?
06:27Everybody?
06:29Okay.
06:31We look forward to it.
06:32Also with us are many Ohio State fans from my administration.
06:37And the biggest of them all, of course, is our vice president, who's been fantastic.
06:43Thank you, man.
06:47Thank you, guys.
06:50But he was such a good student.
06:52He didn't stay there for four years.
06:54He got out in two years, number one in his class.
06:57How did you do that?
06:59Did you have any better students than that?
07:00Better football players, yeah.
07:02I don't know.
07:03But J.D.'s doing a great job.
07:05Thanks as well to the Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, for being here.
07:08Marco, you're doing an incredible.
07:11As well as representatives, Martin Davidson and Mike Carey.
07:15Fellas, thank you.
07:17Thank you very much.
07:18Governor Mike DeWine.
07:21Mike, where are you?
07:22Where are you?
07:22Mike?
07:23Mr. Patricia.
07:25Attorney General Dave Yost.
07:30Congratulations, Governor.
07:31Secretary of State, Frank Flores.
07:36Thank you, Frank.
07:36Mayor Trent Conway.
07:39I love Trent Conway.
07:40Where's Trent Conway?
07:41Where are you, Trent?
07:43We're looking at a bad guy from East Palestine.
07:48And I think, you know, here the reason they say that was, I visited and Biden didn't.
07:54And when I went there, and I went there right after the problem, right?
07:57And I met Trent, and I love Trent.
08:00But a lot of people give that to you, a lot of credit for the success that we've had,
08:04because we won in our huge stampede in the landslide.
08:08And I want to thank you.
08:09You've been a great mayor, and you went through a lot.
08:11And we took care of you, and we helped, and other people didn't.
08:15But you were a big stop in the first one, so thank you for being here.
08:19It's good to see you again.
08:20Thank you very much.
08:21Thank you very much.
08:24And, of course, the Ohio State legend is current Lieutenant Governor Jim Trestle.
08:32Thank you, thank you, Jim.
08:38Thank you very much.
08:39Thank you very much.
08:40It's a legend.
08:41Thanks also to my friends J.J.
08:43Cafaro and the Schottenstein family.
08:46They're here somewhere.
08:47There they are.
08:48High five.
08:49Good to have you.
08:51Thank you very much.
08:52This was a historic year in college football.
08:54Standing together today, these men in the first college think of that are the first college
08:58football players in history who can proudly call themselves 12th Team Playoff Champions.
09:05You're the first one.
09:12Congratulations, Coach.
09:13This team showed the world that the road to greatness is paved by hard work, sweat, and
09:18often a great deal of adversity.
09:20They had a lot of adversity because I shouldn't say this.
09:23I actually said, should I leave this line out?
09:26And they said, sir.
09:27They said, yes, sir, they want to hear the whole thing, the bad and the good, right?
09:33But many people counted you out, as you know, after the losses against Oregon, which is a
09:38great team, and that team up north.
09:41But you refused to let the Buckeye Nation down.
09:47You got better and better and tougher and tougher as the season went along.
09:53And after a very strong regular season but with adversity, you held a closed-door players-only
10:01meeting.
10:02This extraordinary group rallied together for a single glorious mission to win four straight
10:07playoff games against the finest teams in college football.
10:12And you were able to do it.
10:14In the first playoff game, Tennessee quarterback Will Howard scorched the volunteer defense.
10:21I watched that game and I said, that guy is good.
10:24Defense for 311 yards and completed 24 of 29 passes.
10:31Known for his accuracy, strong arm, but boy, is he known for his accuracy.
10:37Where is Will?
10:38I want to see this guy.
10:44Oh, he's going to be so rich.
10:45Think of that.
10:46To look like that and to play, that's a good combination.
10:47But Will went on to set an all-time college football player record with 1,150 yards passing.
10:51That's an incredible thing.
11:05We'll be watching him for about 15 years, maybe longer.
11:16The next game was a chance at redemption against the top-ranked Oregon Ducks, which was a tough
11:21team.
11:22It was a total team effort by Ohio State.
11:26In the first half, the Buckeyes built an insurmountable 34-point lead thanks to the scores from veteran
11:35playmaker Kavion Henderson.
11:36Where is he?
11:37Kavion Henderson.
11:38Where is he?
11:39Kavion Henderson.
11:40Do you think I can beat him in a race?
11:54Kavion Henderson.
11:55Woo!
11:56Great going.
11:57And Ohio State, and also your receptions leader, Amika Ibuka.
12:01Where is he?
12:02Kavion Henderson.
12:03You said the right thing.
12:07Then came the team's biggest test in the semifinals.
12:12The team's biggest test in the semifinals.
12:17The trip to Texas for the Cotton Bowl.
12:18And Texas was pretty much rated the number one team at the beginning of the season, right?
12:32So that was a tough team.
12:33I know that.
12:34It was neck and neck late in the fourth quarter.
12:37Texas was down a score, but marching in the red zone with two minutes left on the fourth
12:42and eight.
12:43With 2.29 on the clock, hometown legend Jack Sawyer.
12:47Boy, that's a good name.
12:48That's a good name.
12:55A son of Columbus.
12:57We won Columbus by a lot of points.
13:00Gave the world an all-time great Ohio State football moment.
13:05Most of you know what I'm talking about.
13:07In one amazing play, Jack exploded off the line, strip-sacked the quarterback, which is
13:13not easy to do, scooped the fumble recovery, scored an 83-yard touchdown return, and punched
13:20Ohio State, sticking to the championship game.
13:23That's a hell of a thing.
13:24You mean you took the ball out of the quarterback's head?
13:27I don't want to say this.
13:29I don't want to make...
13:30How do you think that other team feels?
13:32That's one of those disasters for another day, right?
13:36No, that quarterback doesn't feel good.
13:38Where is he?
13:40That's unbelievable, actually.
13:41The size of these guys.
13:42I used to think I was quite a big fellow, not so much anymore.
13:47But he later said that it was the best feeling he'd ever felt.
13:51Are you sure about that, Jack?
13:52I don't know.
13:53I don't know.
13:54As he gets older, who knows?
13:55But I don't think he's ever going to forget him.
13:56And Jack, you earned it.
13:57And congrats.
13:58That's really a special success.
13:59You thought that game would...
14:00Yeah.
14:01Yeah.
14:02Yeah.
14:03Yeah.
14:04Yeah.
14:05Yeah.
14:06Yeah.
14:07Yeah.
14:08Yeah.
14:09Yeah.
14:10Yeah.
14:11Yeah.
14:12Yeah.
14:13Yeah.
14:14Yeah.
14:15Yeah.
14:16Yeah.
14:17Yeah.
14:18Yeah.
14:19Yeah.
14:20Yeah.
14:21Yeah.
14:22Yeah.
14:23That's what goes down.
14:26You thought that game, maybe it was over rigor.
14:28You felt like he was a...
14:30That's why he's a good coach.
14:31He felt he was gonna win.
14:33That was pretty amazing.
14:34They were the impressed that you were all excuse me.
14:38Yeah.
14:39together this season?
14:41What do you have the first game with?
14:43Well, that's tough.
14:45And a lot of your players are coming back,
14:47but quite a few great ones are leaving, right?
14:49How do you feel about the NFL?
14:51That's the good thing about every one of them.
14:55How do you feel about the season?
14:57Very good.
14:59I don't think you're going to be great.
15:03But the Buckeyes have defied the critics,
15:06but the job just wasn't finished.
15:08This tremendous team needed one more win
15:11for the ultimate victory,
15:13the national championship game against Notre Dame.
15:17Offensive MVP Will Howard led the charge again,
15:21completing 14 of his first 15 fans.
15:24I'm telling you, the guy has an accurate arm.
15:26How many times do I have to tell you that?
15:29When Sean Judkins reached the end zone three times.
15:34What the hell is he?
15:36Three times defensive MVP Cody Simon stopped the fighting Irish rushing attack.
15:49Where's Cody?
15:51You notice the way they're sitting in like a little trench?
16:04I didn't want him at the same level.
16:06Actually, it was really, but I feel very good about that.
16:10Keep him down a little bit.
16:13But offensive MVP Will Howard led that charge.
16:17And really, these people are going places that are going to be very exciting in the future.
16:23We're going to be watching them all on Sundays for a long time to come, I believe.
16:27Many of them, many of the people behind us.
16:29For Cody Simon, that was a very important deal.
16:32And Buckeye star Jeremiah Smith pulled down the unforgettable deep ball on 3rd and 11th to clinch the championship.
16:40Where's Jeremiah?
16:42I shouldn't say this, but the coach was giving Jeremiah some major praise backstage.
17:01I said, so what's the future?
17:02He said, well, we have a guy.
17:04He may be the best ever.
17:06That's a lot to think about, Jeremiah.
17:11He's a great guy, too.
17:17But Jeremiah was the only freshman that was just at a level that few people have ever seen before, according to what I hear.
17:27And nobody could stop him all year long, even as a freshman.
17:31And let's not forget the resilient offensive line that helped Will achieve this record-breaking season.
17:38Get ready, fellas.
17:39Come on up here.
17:40Josh Fryer.
17:41Luke Montgomery.
17:42Carson Heinzman.
17:44Tegra Shabula.
17:47Oh.
17:49Austin Cereveld.
17:53And Donovan Jackson stepped up when you needed him most, and they protected him.
17:59Thank you so much.
18:19I just want to see if we're going to the NFL.
18:22Other people said we would take that to the NFL.
18:25I'm sorry, I'm sorry.
18:36That's offensive line.
18:40That offensive line is so important, you have no idea, I've seen teams that were great,
18:53but they didn't have the offensive line, and it just doesn't work out, right Will?
18:58You beat the Fighting Irish that day, 34-23, and for the first time in 10 years,
19:03Bradford claimed the title of the great state of Ohio, the great state, I love that state,
19:09and I won that state in a landslide.
19:11And if I let you down, he won't, okay, so you have a backup.
19:22But I do love the place, and so today I'm honored to call the Ohio State University Buckeyes national champions.
19:30You're the national champions, and you're standing right here at the White House.
19:34And it's a proud day for all of us, but it's a proud day for the scarlet and gray.
19:39Congratulations once again, and Coach, you are a fantastic person.
19:43I got to know him just a little bit back there, and I realized almost immediately that he's really a special guy,
19:50and to your wife and your three beautiful children, congratulations.
19:54I'm going to ask Jayden to say a couple of words.
19:56It's an honor to have everybody at the White House.
19:59You are a very special group from a special state, the state of Ohio.
20:04Thank you very much, everybody.
20:05Well, thank you, Mr. President.
20:10Thanks to Coach Jay and the entire team for being here at the White House.
20:17I'm so proud to be part of Team Scarlet and Gray today.
20:22Congratulations to the Ohio State Buckeyes on a hell of a 2024 season.
20:30I'm going to say just a couple of words about this team because they really helped make, sir, an incredible year even better for this very proud Ohio State alum.
20:38So two things.
20:39First of all, I made a bet with Ted Cruz over the Texas game, a bet that he is still not paid up on TV.
20:48And I don't like losing any bet, but I really don't want to lose a bet to Ted Cruz.
20:52So thank you all for helping me win that bet against Ted Cruz.
20:55And the second thing, I asked the President on January the 20th, he said,
20:58Sir, would you mind if I skipped that final inaugural ball to go to the Ohio State National Championship game?
21:04And the President said, no, but we'll have him at the White House.
21:06So here we are celebrating that national title.
21:09And I just want to say I'm proud of you guys.
21:11You guys were resilient.
21:12You were tough.
21:13You represented the state of Ohio well.
21:15You represented the whole country well.
21:17And the last thing that I'll say is I don't know who let the guy over in the corner here in Michigan have.
21:22And for this celebration, I'm about to tell the Secret Service you've got a dangerous weapon, sir.
21:29I just want to say proud of this team, Mr. President.
21:33Thank you for hosting.
21:34And thanks to the whole state of Ohio for showing up and cheering for our Buckeyes.
21:38God bless you guys.
21:39Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, and other distinguished guests, on behalf of the Ohio State University,
21:57the Department of Athletics, thank you for inviting the National Championship Ohio State Buckeyes to the White House this afternoon.
22:04I'd like to thank Ohio State President Ted Carter, members of the Ohio delegation here with us today.
22:10Governor Wine, Lieutenant Governor Trestle, Athletics Director Ross Bure, and all the staff members for their work and efforts to make this trip to the White House a reality.
22:20We're honored and humbled to be here, celebrating with you our ninth national championship in our great university's history.
22:29To be here surrounded by our players, staff, university leadership is a moment we'll never forget.
22:36Traveling to DCO was the easy part. Earning the right to be here was the hard one.
22:42The team made history by winning the most difficult series of games in the history of college football.
22:49Defeating number seven, Tennessee.
22:51Number one, Oregon in the Rose Bowl.
22:53Number three, Texas in the Cotton Bowl.
22:55And number five, Notre Dame in the National Championship.
22:58Back to back to back to back.
23:01No team's ever done that.
23:03And through discipline and execution, this team dominated, finished the mission, and left no doubt.
23:18It all started with a group of fourth- and fifth-year seniors.
23:21They chose each other.
23:23They chose Ohio State, and they built and lived a culture of brotherhood, toughness, and love.
23:29When adversity hit, they stood tall, stuck together, showed their true character, rose the occasion, and became champions.
23:38There's a quote I love from President Roosevelt.
23:41This laid proudly in our team room, the man in the arena.
23:45It's not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles.
23:49The credit belongs to the man who's actually in the arena.
23:52Who strives valiantly, comes up short again and again, but who does actually strive to do the deeds.
23:58This quote reminds us of the true honor that belongs to those who rise to the challenge and stay in the arena, unwavered.
24:05It took every challenge, and we responded with heart, with grit, and with determination.
24:13That's why this moment means so much to us.
24:16Our families, thank you so much for your love and your support along the way.
24:20To our coaches, thank you for your hard work and for your leadership.
24:23And to our players, thank you for everything.
24:26Your story will forever be told.
24:28And Mr. President, thank you again for this incredible honor.
24:32God bless America, and go Bucs.
24:33And we're going to have our captains here, Mr. President and Mr. Vice President.
24:49Thank you, Mr. President.
24:51Thank you very much.
24:53Thank you, Mr. Vice President.