President Donald Trump faced an awkward moment during a Fox Sports broadcast Sunday when commentators pressed him about his high school football statistics, revealing he likely never scored a touchdown during his playing days at New York Military Academy.
Trump attended the Washington Commanders versus Detroit Lions game at Northwest Stadium in Maryland on November 9, marking the first time a sitting president has attended a regular-season NFL game since 1978. During halftime, he joined Fox broadcasters Kenny Albert and Jonathan Vilma for what began as a lighthearted conversation about his athletic past.
The president reminisced about his time playing tight end at New York Military Academy from 1959 to 1964, where he attended from age 13 to 18. “I played tight end. But I mean, it was not quite football like this. It was a little bit easier. It wasn’t so tough. We had a quarterback who didn’t have a very strong arm. I would say 10 yards was a long pass.” That was four years before a diagnosis of bone spurs in his heels helped him avoid military service in Vietnam.
The conversation took an uncomfortable turn when Vilma revealed the broadcast team had attempted to research Trump’s playing statistics. The president immediately responded with concern, recognizing where the line of questioning was headed.
When Vilma asked how many touchdowns Trump had scored during his high school career, the president admitted he likely never reached the end zone. “I’m not sure I had any. It’s a long time ago… At least you realize that I never tell a lie, right?”
During the broadcast, producers displayed a black-and-white photograph of Trump in his Military Academy football uniform, showing him wearing jersey number 85. Trump expressed pleasant surprise at seeing the old image, stating he had not seen that picture in a long time.
The president’s appearance at the game was marked by additional controversy beyond the on-air interview. Trump faced audible boos from the crowd at the stadium.
Trump was accompanied by House Speaker Mike Johnson and Pete Hegseth, among other administration officials.
The president’s arrival at the stadium created an additional spectacle before kickoff. Air Force One performed a flyover of Northwest Stadium before the game, with Trump calling it a grand entrance.
The rare candor about his high school athletic achievements stood in contrast to Trump’s typically boastful public persona. His admission that the quarterback lacked arm strength and that 10 yards constituted a long pass painted a picture of a modest high school football program far removed from the professional level of play on display at the NFL game.
Trump’s appearance represented a significant moment in presidential history. The nearly 50-year gap since the last sitting president attended a regular-season NFL game underscored the rarity of such public appearances by commanders-in-chief at professional sporting events.
The president’s acknowledgment that he never scored touchdowns during his high school career provided Fox Sports viewers with an uncharacteristically humble moment from a president known for emphasizing his accomplishments. The on-air admission, combined with his explanation about his quarterback’s limited passing range, offered a glimpse into Trump’s adolescent years at the military academy where he spent his teenage years from 1959 through 1964.