Jon Decker to attend the Army/Navy football game Saturday

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
John Decker, our White House correspondent, joining us now as
where you're in the thick of college football season right
now and some good games coming up, no doubt, but
a traditional game this weekend, the Army Navy Game is
the President will be there as Commander in chief, and
John Decker will be along with him as well. Good morning, John, Hey,
good morning.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
I love the Army Navy Game, JT. I watch it
every year on television. Last year I was at the
Army Navy game when they played it where the commanders
play their NFL football games. And the first time I
went to the Army game Army Navy game in person,
I must have been about six years old in Philadelphia.
So I'll be with the president tomorrow. The game's being
played in Baltimore, always at a neutral site, and as

(00:39):
you point out, the president commander in chief can't take sides,
so I think that he'll probably spend a little bit
of his time on the Army side, a little bit
of his time on the Navy side, and cheer for
both teams, who are the best that America produces.

Speaker 1 (00:54):
Well, let me ask you this, does he personally have
a favorite? Is he going to pick? I know he
can't publicly pick, but have you got any sense of
where the president think maybe where the game will end
as far as it wins.

Speaker 2 (01:06):
Well, they're both good. You know. It's interesting. You know,
these teams have really gotten so much better over the years.
And it's impressive because you can't just recruit anybody. You
have to recruit student athletes that want to be in
the US military after their graduation from either the Naval
Academy or from West Point. And of course, you know,

(01:27):
you get a lot of really talented student athletes out there.
They want to go right to the NFL. These really
talented players need to wait, need to wait after serving
five years in the military before they can pursue careers
in the NFL. Some have done it, as you know.
I think the most famous Naval Academy graduate is a
guy named Roger Stallback, who of course played for the

(01:49):
Dallas Cowboys won a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys,
but he served in the US Navy and he won
a Heisman Trophy while being the quarterback for the Naval Academy.

Speaker 1 (01:58):
Yeah, it's interesting, and I think a lot of people
people don't realize that you have to commit, you know,
you're not part of the nil and you're not part
of the portal situation at all. Correct.

Speaker 2 (02:06):
Well, there are some players that have actually gone to
either the Naval Academy or West Point and they've transferred out.
But a reminder, if you transfer out, whether you're a
student athlete or just a student, to another university or
college of the US government, that full year of tuition,
because your tuition is fully paid for. They pay for everything.

(02:28):
Maybe give you a little bit of a salary when
you're going to the Naval Academy or West Point because
you're serving in the US military and training to be
an officer. So it's a really interesting life. I've had
friends who've attended both academies and it's so exciting to
be their JT to see all the history, all of
the tradition associated with each of these military academies.

Speaker 1 (02:50):
No doubt, what an iconic game it is. So one
more question on the portal situation. So they can or
cannot jump in the portal, and if they do, they've
got to pay back.

Speaker 2 (03:00):
Oh they can, They certainly can. And I've seen, you know,
I pay a lot of attention to, uh, you know,
the rosters of some of the top D one teams.
And sometimes you'll see a player who spent a year
at the Naval Academy or at West Point and they
transfer out, they get any the transfer portal and transfer
out to go to a major D one college. Maybe

(03:21):
they're interested in, you know, competing in the NFL immediately
after graduation. But again, for those students that do transfer out,
they do owe the US government, uh, their full year
tuition for having served in that capacity for a year
at whatever academy. We're talking about.

Speaker 1 (03:39):
What about after graduation. I know, you got to run
real quick here. But if they play four years and
they you know, they're done with football, they commit for
five years, can they get out and lead before they
go actually go in? Is that considerable a dishonorable discharge?

Speaker 2 (03:51):
No, it's not. You know they're there. They have a
carve out, and the carve out is actually because of
President Donald Trump. So there are instances in which, uh,
they'll allow an individual to attempt to pursue a career
in the NFL, but they will still at some point
owe their time to the US government in terms of
military service. So that is something that the President has

(04:14):
allowed these student athletes to do. If they're talented enough,
of course, to make the NFL.

Speaker 1 (04:20):
All right, very good, John Degret, thanks for the input, buddy,
what a great game. Enjoy yourself and we'll talk next week.