President Barack Obama is presented with a jersey and helmet from Coach Nick Saban and the 2011 BCS National Champion University of Alabama football team, on the South Lawn of the White House, April 19, 2012. The President welcomed the Crimson Tide to the White House to honor their 14th championship and their exceptional 2011-2012 season.
(Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)
President Obama welcomed the University of Alabama's football team to the White House this afternoon for a ceremony on the South Lawn celebrating their second national championship win in three years — and their 14th overall.
Today's visit comes almost exactly a year since an F4 tornado hit the town of Tuscaloosa, killing 248 people including six students from the University. The President toured the devastation two days later, and spoke about that experience today:
I’ve got to tell you, I’d never seen anything like it.
And I remember something the Mayor said that day. He said that when something like that happens, folks tend to forget all their petty differences. Things like politics, religion, race -– when we’re confronted with a tragedy of such magnitude, all that just fades away. We’re reminded that all we have is each other. And if you need proof of that, just look how the Auburn community stepped up during that time of need.
Fonte: White House