Nixon White House Tapes › Tape 15 › Conversation 015-124
Nixon phone call with Allen on Washington Redskins and Football
Tuesday, November 23, 1971 · 6:10 PM–6:14 PM ET · White House Telephone · 4 min
AI Summary
President Richard Nixon spoke with Washington Redskins head coach George Allen to follow up on the President's recent visit to the team's practice facility. Allen expressed that the visit provided a significant morale boost to the players, specifically highlighting the positive impact on the offensive linemen. The two discussed team strategy and performance adjustments ahead of the upcoming game against the Philadelphia Eagles, with Nixon offering encouragement and expressing optimism about the team's future success.
- Washington Redskins
- George Allen
- Football
- Team Morale
- Philadelphia Eagles
Audio
Transcript (AI-generated)
This transcript was generated automatically by AI (WhisperX) and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Names and numbers are often wrong; speakers are not identified. Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.
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Hello.
Mr. President, I have Mr. George Allen here.
Yeah.
Mr. President, sir.
Hello.
Mr. President.
I just hope that my visit helped your team a little, George.
I'll tell you what.
We had a great practice today.
Did you?
Good.
Good.
You know, on Tuesday, you have bumps and bruises.
Yeah.
Sore.
Gosh, I can see that.
And then after a loss, you know, it's even... Oh, boy.
Depressing.
But we really had a fine practice and...
The feeling throughout the team was that it was just so great of you to take time to come with them, and you were with us for about 40 minutes.
Latham remarked to me that they were amazed that you knew so much about him, you see.
And then I told Pat Fisher I have a meeting with the defense every day after practice.
We meet before practice and after practice.
I told Pat Fisher that you asked about him right at the end there.
That's right.
I saw him over there.
And that you wanted to say something to him.
I thought it went very, very well.
And everything was...
And I wanted to make sure that you met... Well, you handled it extremely well, I thought, with meeting.
I was so glad to meet so many of the guys, too.
So that there wouldn't be any say, well, you need to meet this guy or that guy.
That's right.
And I thought it was good, too.
One thing I did want to do was to build up those offensive linemen, you know.
It was tremendous.
Because they are the unsung heroes, and unless they open those holes and...
and protect that pass or you aren't going to make it.
I tell you what I did, I got all the offensive linemen together and I said, you know what?
I said, you guys arranged this with the president, see?
And I said, I'll be gosh darned.
I said, how many people will get a plug around here of the offensive linemen?
And I said, well, if we win the next four games, we'll have to take the presence of vice and give you all a raise.
And they all got a big kick out of that.
So that was great for them because they have been taking a beating.
Oh, they're playing against the toughest.
Yeah, and see, our line is not as big as some of the lines.
It's agile, but it's not as...
big and strong.
I met Jim Snowden today.
Well, he's only about 235 pounds.
Well, let me say that against the Eagles, it seems to me, having seen the last game,
time you would open them up though, don't you think?
I think so.
They were awfully good defensively last time, as I recall, but I just can't believe that they can hold you this time.
Well, what we did is we gave them the ball, so we threw four interceptions.
Oh, that's right.
That's what did it.
We're not going to do that this time.
And then we fumbled Larry Brown, fumbled twice.
I know.
I know.
That won't happen.
Won't happen.
I think that, in fact, even my coaches, when we were finishing up with our showers, the coaches said,
I don't know what made practice so good today, but... And one of them said, well, the president was here.
Because I have been giving them Tuesday off.
Yeah, I've heard that, yeah.
Because we've had so many injuries, and it's the first time we've worked out probably in three weeks.
I was going to show you around the whole facility, but I didn't.
No.
Well, I had a 3 o'clock appointment, George, so I had to get back.
But I'll see you again someday.
We've got a nice setup out here to help us win.
Yeah, it's beautiful.
And we don't have the distractions, you see.
Nope.
That's right.
People come out.
That's right.
Are you going to try to come to the giant game?
Well, the giant game is a possibility if I'm in town.
But as I told you, the main thing you can count on me is when you need me, you see.
This is the week, huh?
Boy, I think this...
Being there today was a heck of a lift.
Well, I'll tell you, before you, and you're going to win this week, I can assure you.
And you'll win next week.
You beat the Giants.
I mean, you can't, two scramblers have done you in, but Tarkenden won't do you in.
Just rushing from the outside.
You know what we're going to do?
I told Kilmer, I said, I want you to open the ballgame with a screen.
That's right.
Against the Eagles.
So listen, when we open that ballgame with a screen pass, it's going to be your play.
Oh, boy.
Well, okay.
All right, George.
Thanks a million.
NARA Description
On November 23, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and George E. Allen talked on the telephone from 6:10 pm to 6:14 pm. The White House Telephone taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 015-124 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid
Conversation No. 15-124
Date: November 23, 1971
Time: 6:10 pm - 6:14 pm
Location: White House Telephone
The President talked with the White House operator.
George E. Allen
The President talked with Allen.
Redskins practice
-The President's visit
-The President's knowledge of players
-Pat Fisher
-Offensive linemen
-Jim Snowdon
Philadelphia Eagles
Redskins
-Interceptions
-Larry Brown
-The President's visit to practice session
-Facilities
New York Giants game
-The President's possible attendance
Fran Tarkington
Billy Kilmer
-EaglesAlso recorded on November 23, 1971
- 015-121 5:58 PM · 58 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and John B. Connally talked on the telephone from 5:58 pm to 5:59 pm.
- 015-122 6:02 PM · 3 min — President Richard M. Nixon, White House operator, and Norman Van Brocklin talked on the telephone from 6:02 pm to 6:05 pm.
- 015-123 6:07 PM · 9 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator talked on the telephone at an unknown time between 6:07 pm and 6:08 pm.
- 623-025 6:07 PM · 10 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:07 pm and 6:08 pm.
- 623-026 6:07 PM · 6 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Alexander P. Butterfield met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:07 pm and 6:08 pm.
- 623-027 6:07 PM · 7 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and the White House operator met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:07 pm and 6:08 pm.
- 623-028 6:07 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Manolo Sanchez met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:07 pm and 6:08 pm.
- 623-029 6:08 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon and Ronald L. Ziegler met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 6:08 pm and 6:10 pm.
Cite this conversation
Conversation 015-124, November 23, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/015-124 (accessed October 12, 2026).