Diamond bracelets, Rolexes, and Louis Vuitton—that’s how you can spot the players at the White House if you don’t follow American football religiously. Lean and tall, dressed in stylish suits, they were ready to embrace their moment of fame having etched their names in the NFL history books. It was the time to shake hands with the President of the United States.
An hour ahead of the event, former NFL player Ryan Clark walked into the White House Briefing Room. “It looks smaller than I thought,” he remarked—the line everyone utters when they first step in here. But despite its modest size, it remains the toughest room in the world, the NFL of political journalism.
Donned in a navy bespoke suit, Clark surveyed the room that makes news headlines every day. “I’d feel a lot more confident if I came straight in,” he mused aloud, his voice carrying the weight of unexpected vulnerability.
Despite their larger-than-life personas and even larger bank accounts, NFL players are just ordinary people, susceptible to the same doubts and insecurities as anyone else. Beside him stood Channing Crowder, his fellow co-host of the Pivot podcast, a streaming platform where even Tom Brady opened up about his innermost thoughts.
It was just an ordinary day at the White House, a place where political journalism branches out into other walks of life.
“I’d feel a lot more confident if I came straight in.”
Ryan Clark
Just before the press gathered for the event, Chiefs safety Justin Reid and guard Trey Smith struck poses for photos at the podium in the Briefing Room.
On the South Lawn, the tunes of “Eye of the Tiger” played as guests spread out on white chairs. Governor Kelly was present, along with members of Congress, including Congressman Cleaver, Mayor Lucas, Mayor Garner, and a host of other elected officials from Missouri and Kansas.
One family of Biden campaign high-roller donors chose not to take their seats, opting instead to stand next to the press line. Their young son, visibly upset, warned his parents, “You cannot just go and break the rules in the White House!” It was a genuine moment of the family next door, strikingly normal in such extraordinary circumstances.
The Chiefs descended the stairs, and Biden was ready to deliver his speech. “Welcome back,” he said. “The first team in 20 years to win back to back,” Biden noted adding how he “kind of like that.” The Lombardi Trophy and a Chiefs helmet gleamed on a table next to a lectern bearing the presidential seal.
“When the doubters questioned whether you could pull it off again — believe me, I know what that feels like,” Biden quipped, weaving a nod to his own campaign battles into the celebration.
Travis Kelce in ten suit and shades stood out in the first row. “I’d have Travis come up here, but God only knows what he’d say,” Biden joked, the South Lawn buzzing with laughter. “Travis, come here. It’s all yours, pal.”
Kelce responded, “I’m not going to lie, President Biden, they told me if I came up here, I’d get tased. So, I’m going to back to my spot.”
A moment of unscripted charm unfolded as Biden tried to put the helmet on, a maneuver that had the crowd holding its breath—it didn’t go as smoothly as planned, but it was a perfectly imperfect, human moment.
The White House, a stage for world events and historic milestones, now played host to this vibrant intersection of politics and sports. Super Bowl winners heading to the White House is a tradition that began in 1980 with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The impact of American football on national identity cannot be overstated. The NFL is to the land of the free what soccer is to Europe—a source of national pride. Yet, the players remain remarkably grounded. Sports come first, and the celebrity status that follows is markedly different from that of movie stars, musicians, or even billionaires.
This distinction arises because sports always offer a reset—a chance to win again, no matter how many victories have come before. It’s the playground with lots of perks but also the one of the severe injuries and the intense competition.Football breeds a special kind of resilience, and as Mahomes said about their trip to the White House, “You don’t take these moments for granted.”
My knowledge of American football ends with Tom Brady and that Netflix roast. In the world of make-believe, that’s Ballers. For the Kansas City Chiefs, football opened the doors for a broader audience, thanks to the pop phenomenon Taylor Swift and her relationship with Travis.
The Chiefs’ moment at the White House was quintessentially American, a bright spot in a nation politically drifting away.
“I don’t know how many presidents have tried on your team helmet,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said in the front of the West Wing as Biden motorcade was getting ready to depart the White House. “This might be a first, and you all witnessed it. It’s history being made.”
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