From the field to the Oval Office

Student-athletes from across all three NCAA divisions will be at the White House on Monday celebrating College Athlete Day, a milestone event created by the Biden administration to recognize NCAA national champions from the past year. The connection between the Oval Office and college sports runs deep, with several presidents (including the one in office now) having competed as college athletes.

To celebrate the occasion, here's a list of former student-athletes who have served as commander-in-chief. With apologies to Presidents Bill Clinton (club rugby) and William Taft (intramural wrestling), this story features only presidents who competed in intercollegiate sports fielded by their university athletics departments. It is also only as good as the information available. Obviously, the further back in history, the harder it is to find details.

Without further ado, here are several former college athletes who rose to become president of the United States of America.

Joe Biden (46th president)

Football, Delaware, 1961

President Joe Biden played football on the freshman team at Delaware, until fate (and his parents) intervened. Biden wrote in his memoir, "Promises to Keep: On Life and Politics," "When my first semester grades came out, my mom and dad told me I wouldn't be playing spring football."

He spent the following months focused on his studies and preparing to make a return to the team. By the time he was a junior, the goal was within reach.

"I hadn't played for two years, but I surprised the coaches by moving up the depth chart fast," he wrote in his memoir. "After the annual spring game that April, it looked like I had a shot to start at defensive back. I couldn't wait until next September; I could almost see the fall season unfold in my head." 

Fate intervened again when Biden met Neilia Hunter while on vacation in Florida. They fell in love despite the distance between them (Hunter lived in Syracuse, New York), and Biden soon realized he would have to choose between football and his new flame. He quit the team and picked Hunter, who would become his first wife.

Donald Trump (45th president)

Squash and Tennis, Fordham, 1965-66

President Donald Trump spent the first two years of his college career at Fordham, where he played tennis and squash. Primarily a squash player, he joined the tennis team in the spring of his sophomore year. According to the March 25, 1966, edition of The Fordham Ram, Trump was expected to contribute to the tennis squad.

"Captain Charles Duross heads a talented list which includes: Don Robinson, Kevin McKay, Joe Hopkins, Richie O'Donnell, and two sophomore newcomers, Don Minogue and Don Trump. The balance of this squad is reflected in the three seniors, two juniors, and two sophomores who presently look like the nucleus of a winning machine."

After two seasons of squash and one playing tennis, Trump would transfer to Penn to finish his degree in economics.

George W. Bush (43rd president)

Baseball, Yale, 1965

It stands to reason that as the former owner of Major League Baseball's Texas Rangers, President George W. Bush played baseball as a student at Yale. The experience was short-lived, however, confined to just his freshman year. He was a pitcher before going on to compete for the club rugby squad.

According to the Yale Daily News, Bush was also a Yale cheerleader like his father, former President George H.W. Bush, and grandfather Prescott Sheldon Bush.

George H.W. Bush (41st president)

Baseball, Yale, 1945-48

President George H.W. Bush came to Yale's campus in 1945 as a first baseman looking to make an impact. Today, Yale's baseball field is named in his honor. Captain of the team his senior year, Bush played in the first two College World Series, in 1947 and 1948. 

Major League Baseball teams played games at Yale before Bush started his college career, with legends like Ted Williams and Babe Ruth having played in New Haven. A highlight for Bush was meeting Ruth in 1948 when "The Babe" visited Yale Field to present a copy of his autobiography to then-captain Bush.

Ronald Reagan (40th president)

Football and Swimming and Diving, Eureka, 1929-32     

President Ronald Reagan was a two-sport star at Eureka, competing on the college's football and swimming and diving teams. He was also president of the student body as a senior. Reagan was inducted into the Eureka athletics hall of fame in 1982.

Gerald R. Ford (38th president)

Football, Michigan, 1932-34

President Gerald R. Ford played football at Michigan, where he was a part of national championship teams in 1932 and 1933. He started every game at center his senior year in 1934 and was voted most valuable player by his teammates.

In 2004, NCAA President Myles Brand created the Gerald R. Ford Award, recognizing an individual each year who has provided significant leadership as an advocate for intercollegiate athletics on a continuous basis over the course of a career.

Richard M. Nixon (37th president)

Football, Whittier, 1932-34

President Richard M. Nixon attended Whittier, where he was president of his class and a member of the college's varsity debate team. He also played on the Poets football team, where he was "a great inspiration to (the) team with halftime pep talks (and) bench cheering leadership," according to his bio on the Whittier website. He was inducted as an honorary member of the athletics hall of fame.

John F. Kennedy (35th president)

Football, Swimming and Diving, Golf, and Sailing, Harvard, 1936-40

President John F. Kennedy was a multisport athlete at Harvard, competing as a football player, swimmer and golfer. He was on the freshman team for each sport. He even competed on the sailing crew that won the Eastern Collegiate Championship and also won an individual sailing competition.

In 1998, he was inducted into the Harvard Varsity Club for his achievements in sailing.

Dwight D. Eisenhower (34th president)

Football, Army West Point, 1912

"One of the most promising backs in Eastern Football," according to The New York Times, President Dwight D. Eisenhower injured his knee during his first season competing on the varsity team for Army and never played football again. The following season, he was asked to help coach the junior varsity team and found that he loved leading others.

Eisenhower was the first recipient of the NCAA's Theodore Roosevelt Award in 1967. The award is the highest honor from the NCAA, presented annually to a distinguished citizen of national reputation and outstanding accomplishment. Eisenhower is one of four presidents to receive the award, and the other three are on this list (Ford, Reagan and George H.W. Bush).

Woodrow Wilson (28th president)

Baseball, Davidson, 1874

President Woodrow Wilson spent one year at Davidson, where he played on the college's varsity baseball team as an outfielder. North Carolina Gov. Robert Broadnax Glenn, a college friend, described Wilson in June 1912, "When the team would be called out for practice, we'd have to go to his room and drag him away from a book. But when Wilson wanted to play, he was a star. He played left field, and while he had an awkward way of running, he covered a lot of ground and was the best pinch hitter on the team. His only trouble was that he cared more for history than for Spalding's rules."