Conversation 662-010

On February 1, 1972, President Richard M. Nixon, D. B. Varner, Robert S. Devaney, Jerry Tagge, John Kinney, Johnny Rodgers, Rich Glover, Larry Jacobsen, Willy Harper, George Cook, Dick Herman, Roman L. Hruska, Christopher T. Cross, David T. Martin, John McCollister, Charles Thone, Lee Moncrief, Wally Johnson, White House photographer, and Stephen B. Bull met in the Oval Office of the White House at an unknown time between 12:21 pm and 12:52 pm. The Oval Office taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 662-010 of the White House Tapes.

Conversation No. 662-10

Date: February 1, 1972
Time: Unknown between 12:21 pm and 12:52 pm
Location: Oval Office

The President met with D. B. (“Woody”) Varner, Robert S. (“Bob”) Devaney, Jerry Tagge, Jim
Anderson, Jeff Kinney, Johnny Rodgers, Rich Glover, Larry Jacobson, Willy Harper, George
Cook, Dick Herman, Roman L. Hruska, Carl L. Curtis, John McCollister, David T. Martin,
Charles Thone, Lee Moncrief, and Wally Johnson; members of the press and the White House
photographer were present at the beginning of the meeting.

     Greetings and introductions
          -[Photograph session]

     Previous visit to University of Nebraska campus by President, January 14, 1971
          -Controversy
          -Presentation of plaque
                -Inscription
                -George Cook

     Collegiate polls
          -Associated Press [AP]
                                         27

                      NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                  Tape Subject Log
                                    (rev. 10/06)
                                                           Conv. No. 662-10 (cont.)


       -Coaches

Cook

Contributions to team
     -Offensive linemen
     -Defensive linemen
     -University of Oklahoma
     -Upcoming underclassmen
           -Junior college transfers
     -Chicago All-Star game
           -Dallas Cowboys
     -Orange Bowl performance

Benefits to nation of athletics
     -Competition
            -University of Oklahoma
                 -Paul (“Bear”) Bryant
     -Inspiration to young people
     -The team’s press comments
     -The President’s team loyalties
            -Recent playoff
                 -University of Miami
                 -University of Texas

Presentation of gifts
     -Cuff links
           -Cook
     -Golf balls
     -Donald McI. Kendall
           -Wilson Company
     -Vice President Spiro T. Agnew
     -Tagge
     -Bart Starr

Size of players
      -Washington Redskins’ fortunes
           -Injury to Charley Taylor

Photographs
     -President’s signature
                                                28

                            NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF

                                       Tape Subject Log
                                         (rev. 10/06)
                                                                        Conv. No. 662-10 (cont.)



     Hawaii

     Apollo XV astronauts
          -Goodwill tour in Yugoslavia and Poland

     Presentation of pens
          -Bill signing

     President’s schedule
          -Attendance at games
          -The President’s forthcoming trip to the People’s Republic of China [PRC]
          -Photograph presentation
                -Frame

Members of the University of Nebraska football team, et al. left at 12:46 pm.

Stephen B. Bull entered at an unknown time between 12:26 pm and 12:52 pm.

     Handling of visit
         -Plaque
         -Presence of team
               -Tagge
               -Devaney
               -Tagge
                      -Future career
                           -Drafted by the Green Bay Packers

Bull left at an unknown time before 12:52 pm.

This transcript was generated automatically by AI and has not been reviewed for accuracy. Do not cite this transcript as authoritative. Consult the Finding Aid above for verified information.

Keep your head down here.
It's all already here.
Let's take it out.
Well, how are you?
Very, very cold.
We've got a lot of them here.
Thank you.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Boy, everybody wants a hero.
I hope.
How do you do?
How are you doing?
How are you doing?
How are you doing?
What do you think?
Oh,
All right.
Many of you will remember that I visited him first.
Many of you will also remember that at that time, there was some country that he was on, and it was called France.
But I cannot reply to you.
After that, there's a wonderful boat.
Right away.
He gave a class last year, I don't know if this year or the next year.
He said he missed the show.
I don't know if this is something that you would like to do.
Whatever you do.
And we'll even buy the train, if you want.
No, let George Cook buy it.
All right, if you'd like to climb around the train.
I'd like you to read it, if you could.
Oh, please, you may want to read it.
President of the United States of America, the President of the United States of America, the President of the United States of America, the President of the United States of America, the President of the United States of America, the President of the United States of America,
Nebraska encountered one stiff challenge after another, with its preeminence as the week moved on.
But the car hustlers were more than equal to every child.
And by the season's end, football fans everywhere knew that Nebraska was truly the home of Nebraska.
That was the end of that week.
I followed that fellow over a hundred years.
I don't think there's ever been a year in my, uh, time to follow a football match, the, the number one, uh, Raiders of the United States.
And so, uh, I don't know what to say.
I think that's about it, gentlemen.
That makes it official.
Coach, I'd like to do this for you if you'd just forgive me.
I'm very sorry.
I'm very sorry.
Oh.
George, look.
Yep, this is the way.
Yep.
Yep.
That's a huge difference.
You're a woman, you're a man.
You're a woman, you're a man.
You're a woman, you're a man.
You're a woman, you're a man.
Listen, I saw what he did.
I saw what they all did.
You know, the beauty of not attending to the fact that this is a free play, you don't have to go over and over again.
And, you know, you see the guys, and you all can see the block.
One thing that's so true, that just came to my mind, that's quite great, Mr. Hinton, the most underrated people
But if the offensive linemen aren't opening the holes, Kinney can't run, and Peggy gets sent.
And even a marvelous offense, if he hasn't run down,
Fair, strong.
I didn't know it was there.
It's a picture.
It's a picture of the old home there.
You got my name on it.
See, they're laughing.
Thank you.
Thank you.
I'll meet you there again, Mr. Reed.
Well, if he had to be smart, I suppose he's smart.
Let me get out of here.
But you have next year you know
What do you carry over to each other?
Can you have a theodicy measure or not?
We have five all-trainers in Stuyvesant.
How was your question?
They were good questions.
They were undefeated.
And you also go, do you go between the college chancellor and your non-college?
Yes, we've had the interior line.
I know there's a lot of people that have been picking up James Harden's pencils in California.
I remember on TV, I think.
But they were good, weren't they?
Did he follow up with J.C. so that if they did, you know, they missed the first few years, it would take two, or it would take the senior year or so, right?
Well, some of them were ready to get ready for two years.
Maybe even if it was for the practice.
I'm Dick Rutherford.
I've been a regular for two years.
We're trying to get a few more cases.
We're going to take some of these fellas and that's what we're going to play.
So we're going to play the Dallas Cowboys game.
Oh, they just went in aggressive?
No, they're going to have some, we're going to coach that coaching staff.
Yeah.
Listen, I'd like to see them aggressive.
For the first half.
For the first half.
I don't know.
They're going to be aggressive.
They're going to be aggressive.
Well, just let me say on a serious note that, I mean, I had a kid with a lot of rugby and a football love.
And I thought about it.
I thought about it.
I suppose I've never made a team.
I was on the side.
I had a pretty good average, too, but that didn't make a difference.
The part is that...
I really think that it's good for a country to have men and the people of athletics, whatever it may be, football, baseball, track, anything like that, going out where they have abilities and doing the best they can.
I mean, this sounds like an old drum-hide, blue-shaded mess, but the competitive spirit is what made this happen.
It's sensational these days to talk about this.
It really matters whether you're number one or not.
Like I said, it may not matter.
And everybody can't be.
I'm sure the Oklahoma halls feel pretty bad.
35, 31, maybe they would be here.
And I'm sure Brian feels that way and a few others.
But the point is that only individuals or nations
Strive for excellence, as I would try to say in a little bit.
Only when that happens does a nation live up to its capability.
And it's the example that you've all set.
to get out there and be a little, some of you will play football, some of you will coach, some of you will teach.
And others, of course, will be in other walks of life, even now, later.
But these young kids, you know, you're close enough to them to remember that you were much younger.
But they need the inspiration of the faculty that
is vitally important to him in life.
And sports is just one symptom of life.
But it's important to him in life.
And whatever our game rules are,
You get out there and give everything you've got.
You're going to lose some.
And in fact, I've seen, I saw you lose some in the Army.
Well, that 38th Army game, that was really mean.
You lose some, and you learn a lot from losing, too.
And then sometimes you win some, and you win all the way.
But the important thing for our young people is to see that the people that are champions, the youth also champions.
that you're really setting an example for them, an example on the field and off the field.
And that's one of the reasons why I'm delighted to welcome him here to Georgia.
I know he's never gone on the field, but because I think you set a fine example.
I watched what you said, your statements have been good.
You know, the press comes in and tries to do this and that kind of thing.
I can't say that I always, you see I don't really come off as
to be very careful.
It's a great need for all of us to do something for our school, for our city, for our state, and for our country.
And I know all the business groups, and I know that there's all the disappointments and all that sort of thing.
But when it's played hard and fine, it can have a good inspirational effect on people.
So we will see what happens.
Let me see.
Yeah.
I'd like to get .
This is .
And we have three groups in the company.
So I'd like to meet you in person now.
That's everybody in the party, even George.
And George can afford a fine.
And that works out also.
How many dollars?
I have a friend, John Kendall, who owns the Wilson Golf Company.
So he sends me golf balls.
This is the president receiving a golf ball.
And it's a signature, John.
So he's getting a golf ball.
I'm sure I'll have to tell you when I come to the White Press if I give you a license.
Well, good luck.
I hope you enjoy your tour.
I don't know if you're strapped to the right team or not.
Well, I mean, March starts, starts a great, great fall.
And, uh, they're ready for it.
You know, for a new man to come along.
You know, it's great.
It's wonderful.
You know, it's a year and a half.
You know, it's a year and a half.
You know, it's a year and a half.
And, uh,
Uh, you don't either, and they're, they're, they're, they're trying to be, uh, just an on-tact.
What are you away, up to 12?
Uh, to 28.
To 28.
You look, you look like you.
That's what it is, it's a cool guy.
You're, that's how it went so fast.
And so did you.
No, I was a little slow.
And you moved with that?
I got locked, I locked, I locked.
Yeah, right.
He's gonna run it for him, right?
And then he's running the game.
That is.
He's running the game.
This is the rex game that I had with Leo on his theater team.
And all he needed was one gun.
Well, of course, the rex game had a marvelous player, you know, who got the broken ankle shot of Taylor.
And Taylor is the best, you know.
He's the best.
He'll break anything open.
And you're a hero, and you're active, and you're passionate at all.
And you can do the game, but you have to know you can get all the moves.
Nothing's supposed to be going on.
Oh, sure, sure.
That's right.
I guess that's what it is.
German soil paper.
There's a picture of everybody behind your chair.
Yeah, of course.
I don't want to talk about this.
Get out of here.
I'm going to go over this chair.
I think that's going to be helpful.
If the picture comes out, I'll send each of you an autographed picture if you'd like.
It'll be written a little more neatly.
John said he'd take two pictures.
Okay.
All right.
Let me just, uh, put the wires on.
Come on.
Both sides.
Thank you.
All right.
Mm-hmm.
Oh, I'll get you something else.
I've got one over here for you.
Oh, we have to get these Christmas ones.
And they're all students, right?
Everybody's a student?
When you sign a bill, your first card, I'll tell you what it is.
When you sign a bill, you use these pens and then give them out to the Congress, the Senate, or the Congress bill.
And then it's up to you to read it.
There we go again.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
I've got a big house.
Hello, ladies and gentlemen, our president of this very football.
Well, great.
Thank you, George.
Well, I know this station is pretty interesting to me.
Well, thank you.
Give my best with a big round of applause.
I'm a great speaker.
I never remember, I forget my business background.
I'm George G.D. Oh, Bob, that's the one.
I saw you on the side of it.
I didn't realize it was a commentator.
I'd love to come to the campus again, but I couldn't justify it.
I just wanted to try a couple of these, and I couldn't get out.
Just to give you a different kind of visit.
I'm serious, we will have a frame, but you may want to frame it to fit your own, you see, the frames will fit your other frames like you want, so that's what we do.
Okay, thank you.
Thank you.
Yes, Charlie, how are you?
Good to see you.
Well, it should be done.
Is there anything you'd like me to do?
It's a little difficult to read.
Yeah, I'm sorry.
I'm awfully sorry.
After the city was crossed by Fort Deer and Sanctuary in the morning, we approached the vine and everyone else, and the boy was drafted by Green Bay.
There I am, sir.
It's a great request, sir, and I'll let you know, Green Bay.