Academy receives Commander-in-Chief's Trophy from president

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Hailey Haux
  • Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs Command Information
WASHINGTON (AFNS) --  WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The U.S. Air Force Academy football team received the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy from President Barack Obama during a visit to the White House, May 7.

The coveted hardware, weighing 170 pounds, goes to the team that wins the most football games in a competition between the U.S. Military Academy, U.S. Naval Academy and U.S. Air Force Academy each season.

"This is the Falcons' third trip in the last five years," Obama said . "I am told it is a record 19 times that they have earned this unreasonably large trophy. But if anybody can figure out how to get this thing to where it needs to go, it is the Air Force."

The Air Force Falcons claimed the trophy for the 19th time during their game against the Army Black Knights in November 2014.

"Last year at this time, most folks did not think that coach (Troy) Calhoun and the Falcons would be here today," said the president. "They had just come off of a less than ideal season, but this year they came back determined to set a new tone. This was quite a season for the Falcons."

During the ceremony, Cadets 1st Class Kale Pearson and Christian Spears presented the president with a football jersey and game football.

"I am extremely honored to come here and represent the Air Force as a whole," Pearson said. "We had some success on the football field, and a lot of support behind us in order to get here today."

After commissioning, the two cadets will go on to be graduate assistants for a year then Spears will become a personnel officer and Pearson will be a logistics officer.

"I am elated," Spears said. "It is a huge honor and I am so thankful for a great season and for this opportunity."

Combined with preseason training, the players completed service leadership training, which included volunteering more than 500 hours at local community organizations.

"I can tell you unquestionably the young men and young women who are with the United States Air Force Academy are absolutely what we want very soon serving on active duty," Calhoun said. "In 20 days, we graduate a class of over 900 cadets to immediately take the reins that we want as the leaders and officers in the United States Air Force and to join a very fine squad as part of our armed forces."

Lt. Gen. Michelle D. Johnson, the Academy superintendent, was at the ceremony.

"Winning the CINC Trophy is a great honor for our team, for the Academy and for Colorado Springs," she said. "Our cadet-athletes thrive on competition on and off the field and this trophy is an indication of their dedication to excellence and their commitment to teamwork. I could not be more proud of our cadets and of Coach Calhoun and his staff, who helped pave the path for this tremendous success."

As future officers in the Air Force, the president said the cadets will be part of "the finest fighting force in the history of the world."

"As president, I have no greater honor or greater responsibility than serving as your commander in chief," Obama said. "In the months and the years ahead these cadets will go on to become officers in the military. They will lead their peers and I will call on each of you to live up to the example of those who came before you, and wherever you are stationed, I want you to know this country stands behind you and will strive to serve you as well as you will be serving us. But in the meantime, congratulations on a great football season."

Air Force secured one of the most remarkable turnarounds in college football in 2014. The Falcons finished the season 10-3 overall and had a 5-3 mark in conference play after a 2-10 mark in 2013. The eight-game turnaround is the best in school history and tied with TCU as the best in the country. The Falcons qualified for their seventh bowl game in eight seasons, defeating Western Michigan, 38-24, in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. Air Force defeated both Army and Navy to win a record 19th Commander-in-Chief's Trophy title and its third in the last five years.

The Falcons entered the bowl season as one of just two teams nationally to have beaten two 10-win teams in the regular season. The Falcons beat Boise State and in-state rival Colorado State, who each won 10 or more games. Air Force's 10-win season is just is sixth in school history. The victory over Boise State was historic, as the Falcons became the first team in the Mountain West's Mountain Division to beat the Broncos. The victory over Colorado State, who was ranked 21st nationally, marked the highest ranked team Air Force has beaten since 1996. Air Force finished 6-0 at home for just the fourth time in school history.