Nixon White House Tapes ›Tape 619 › Conversation 619-016

Nixon, Flemming & Unitas on Professional Football and Drug Abuse Prevention

Tuesday, November 16, 1971 · 12:07 PM–12:15 PM ET · Oval Office ·7 min

ParticipantsNixon, Richard M. (President);  Flemming, Arthur S.;  Unitas, Johnny C.;  LaSpada, Carmella;  Martin, John B.;  Bell, George T.;  Bull, Stephen B.;  White House photographerConversation619-016 onTape 619 (tape position 02:09:00–02:16:01)StartTuesday, November 16, 1971 at 12:07 PMEndTuesday, November 16, 1971 at 12:15 PMRecording deviceOval OfficeSourceNixon Library record for 619-016 ↗

AI Summary

President Nixon met with NFL quarterback Johnny Unitas and other officials to discuss professional football and the influence of athletes on American youth. The conversation touched upon the role of football stars as positive role models, particularly regarding the dangers of drug use, and the importance of professional athletes in national life. The meeting concluded with a photograph session and the President's presentation of gifts to the attendees.

Audio

Download MP3 · 16.1 MB

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 Do not cite it as authoritative — verify against the audio and the finding aid.

Download transcript (.txt) ·JSON data · Click a timestamp to play from that point; the page address then links to that moment (e.g. #t=125).

President.
President.
President.
President.
President.
President.
President.
President.
President.
Yeah, I mean, you really did it.
You really came through.
Thank you so much, Ted.
I'm going to get my answer for a white receiver now.
I thought, did you see that?
I thought it was amazing what it did.
All right.
Great to see you on the set, sir.
Don't give me points.
See, how do we want to line this up?
You've been on this side.
Thank you.
Yeah, they've been a thing.
There's not a lot of all-time events that are going to happen.
There's probably going to be some good stuff.
I think there's a lot of good stuff.
I think there's a lot of good stuff.
I think there's a lot of good stuff.
I think there's a lot of good stuff.
Very good.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thank you.
you'll see
I don't know what the vaccine is.
We don't know what the vaccine is.
But I do know that there's maybe some doctor or a preacher up there saying don't take drugs.
In fact, if you see that guy, he's going to take quite a bit of alcohol and say, look, I'd like to turn it all this way.
I don't want to do drugs.
And that's exactly what I thought.
I think it's really right to be honest.
They do do some drugs, but after the end of the list, they produce different drugs.
Right here, I'm going to take a chip on it.
Yeah, so he goes in there.
You know, they seem to do the penance of the people in sports, particularly football, are heroes.
The real penance of the young Americans.
You've got to remember that.
That doesn't mean that people in sports have to live like priests, or like priests used to live.
But it does mean that the white people come on out anyway.
But it does mean...
that on a thing like this, where everybody was trying to get another thing to, you know, they had some of these guys, they'd walk here, and the rest of the lot of them, most of the pro guys, you know, you'd see all of a sudden, you know, the back of that helmet, it's hair down, except with the folks like you, not as much, but anyway, he's got, he's putting them on, he's putting them on his foot, and another thing, using wax,
I see the letter is a very big problem.
There are all these fine black athletes on this.
I think those are great to have.
Twenty-three of them.
Are you going to rewatch that segment?
Oh, Mr. President, I'm going to rewatch it.
Well, I would say that it's, it's, it's really something.
What do you think about Miami?
This, uh, where in, uh, Miami?
Is something Miami?
Well, I don't think you probably did a great, great, great accolade to that or something, huh?
Yes, I did.
How about that Bruce you didn't see?
Well, he's been injured last week.
No, he had a little stomach problem.
That was all.
That was what it was.
What happened to him?
Problem was a bad mood or something.
Sweet.
Well, I hope you have a tight tank, Rob.
Yeah, I hope you do.
I don't care.
I hate to say it in jail, but that would be prolonged.
Well, let's see.
I've got to give you a little something to remember.
I want you to come back here.
All right.
I've got to give you a little something.
The fourth row has been with this president all throughout KWC's life today and just in time.
It's marvelous.
Well, I'll tell you, it's amazing to be able to get it back.
Well, that's a little compact for you.
Well, many thanks.
Thank you.
I'll be watching you on TV.
As a matter of fact, they didn't, you know, they didn't plan that.
That's good.
That's good.
They're all over 35.
The older I was 35.
Oh, give my best to Matt, you know, the John Matthews guy.
I served with him one day, and they follow that program.
Tell them that I served with them.
I saw him catch a pass last week.
Oh, give him a hand.
Give yourself a thank you.

NARA Description

On November 16, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon, Arthur S. Flemming, Johnny C. Unitas, Carmella LaSpada, John B. Martin, George T. Bell, Stephen B. Bull, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:07 pm to 12:15 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 619-016 of the White House Tapes.

Nixon Library Finding Aid

Conversation No. 619-16

Date: November 16, 1971
Time: 12:07 pm - 12:15 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with Arthur S. Flemming, John C. (“Johnny”) Unitas, Carmella LaSpada,
John B. Martin and George T. Bell; Stephen B. Bull, the White House photographer and
members of the press were present at the beginning of the meeting.

     Introductions

     Unitas's previous game

     Dick Butkus

     Super Bowl

     Washington Redskins
         -Dallas Cowboys

     Arrangements for photograph

[Photograph session]

     Football

     Drugs
          -National Football League commercials
               -Football players as role models
               -Black athletes

     Unitas
          -Forthcoming game in Miami
                -Bob Griese

     Presentation of gifts by the President
          -Compact
          -Prisoner of war [POWs]

     Quarterbacks
          -George Blanda, Griese, Unitas and Christian A. (“Sonny”) Jurgenson
               -Age

     John Mackey
          -Meeting with the President

Flemming et al., left at 12:15 pm.

Also recorded on November 16, 1971

  • 619-014 12:05 PM · 15 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:05 pm and 12:07 pm.
  • 619-015 12:05 PM · 14 sec — President Richard M. Nixon, Stephen B. Bull, and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:05 pm and 12:07 pm.
  • 619-017 12:15 PM · 18 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:15 pm and 12:16 pm.
  • 619-030 12:15 PM · 8 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and unknown person(s) met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:15 pm and 12:16 pm.
  • 619-018 12:16 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, James D. Hittle, John V. Brennan, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:16 pm to 12:18 pm.
  • 619-019 12:18 PM · 1 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Dr. K. Wayne Smith, Henry A. Kissinger, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:18 pm to 12:20 pm.
  • 619-020 12:20 PM · 5 sec — President Richard M. Nixon and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at 12:20 pm.
  • 619-021 12:20 PM · 2 min — President Richard M. Nixon, Kenneth M. Smith, Patrick J. Buchanan, Lyndon K. Allin, Stephen B. Bull, and White House photographer met in the Oval Office of the White House from 12:20 pm to 12:22 pm.

All 90 conversations from November 16, 1971 →

Cite this conversation

Conversation 619-016, November 16, 1971. White House Tapes, Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, National Archives. Audio and AI transcript via Easy Nixon, https://www.easynixon.org/tapes/619-016 (accessed September 18, 2026).