Trump Awards 3 Sports Legends the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Despite President Donald Trump’s sometimes-frosty relationship with the professional sports world, he saw fit to honor several prominent sports figures with the nation’s highest possible honor for civilians.
The White House announced Saturday that Trump has chosen seven people to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, including a trio of sports legends.
New York Yankees icon Babe Ruth, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach and Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Alan Page will all receive the honor.
The other recipients include philanthropist Dr. Miriam Adelson, Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, pop icon and musician Elvis Presley and former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
Ruth, real name George Herman, is synonymous with baseball, perhaps more so than any other baseball player in history.
“He set records that stood for decades, including 714 home runs, 2,873 hits, 2,174 runs, and 2,062 walks — and he remains unmatched with a .690 slugging percentage. Over 15 legendary seasons, Babe Ruth led the Yankees to 7 American League championships and 4 World Series championships,” the White House statement said.
“His legacy has never been eclipsed, and he remains the personification of ‘America’s Pastime.'”
The statement also noted that Ruth created the Babe Ruth Foundation, which helped raise funds during World War II.
Page, who made nine Pro Bowls as a member of the Vikings, was lauded as “an accomplished jurist, athlete, and philanthropist” in the statement.
A seminal member of the legendary “Purple People Eaters,” Page also notched an NFL MVP award in 1971.
“After retiring from the NFL in 1981, Justice Page practiced law full-time before winning a seat on the Minnesota Supreme Court in 1992. He served for more than 20 years,” the White House said. “Since 1988, his Page Education Foundation has provided scholarships to nearly 7,000 students.”
Staubach is entrenched in Cowboys lore, helping bring the franchise its first two Super Bowl championships (VI and XII).
“He first made his mark on football at the United States Naval Academy, where he set 28 records and won the Heisman Trophy in 1963,” the statement said.
But perhaps more important than anything in Staubach’s extensive record of football accomplishments comes the fact that he volunteered to fight in the Vietnam War.
“Following his football career, he was a successful businessman and a champion for many charitable causes, including the United Way of America, the Children’s Scholarship Fund, and Allies in Service, an organization devoted to supporting service members, veterans, and their spouses,” the statement said.
Despite the aforementioned strained relationship Trump has with some in the sports world, a number of prominent sports figures have been decidedly pro-Trump, including basketball coaching legend Bobby Knight.
Trump will officially award the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a ceremony Friday.
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