In Fantasy College Blitz's President's Special (in honor of this past Presidents Day), we look back at the contributions of our past Presidents in the world of College Football
 
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Although the first "official" college football game took place in 1869, our focus will be on the 20th and 21st Century Presidents....of course, since they were the most likely to play.  Though, personally, I think Andrew Jackson would have been the 18th/19th Century equivalent of Randy Moss.
 
He may have never played the game, but Theodore Roosevelt had an early impact on the sport.  His threat to outlaw College Football...after a wave of deaths and serious injuries...led to many rule changes that brought the game closer to the modern version seen today.  Roosevelt, by no means was anti-football or anti-sport (he was a physical fitness enthusiast and a decent boxer)....in fact Roosevelt, during his presdiency, tried to get a West Point coach out of his officer commission so that TRs alma-mater (Harvard) could hire him as football coach.
 
And you thought only Texas Governors did things like that...
 
Not too long after TR left the White House, an over-achiever from Kansas made the varsity at West Point.  Dwight Eisenhower played often during his sophomore season at USMA.  His football career, as legend has it, ended when Ike tried to tackle the great Jim Thorpe during a game vs. Carlisle Indian School, and tore up his knee.  Eisenhower did appear in one more game for the Cadets, but, reinjured the same knee..and permanently.  Even with the bum knee, Ike led the US forces to victory in World War II, and, served two terms as President.
 
The most successful gridiron President, no doubt, was Gerald Ford.  While at Michigan, Ford was a top lineman for the Wolverines, and named all Western Conference (Big Ten) and team MVP his senior season in Ann Arbor.  Immediately after college, Ford received offers from NFL teams, but decided to take an assistant coach position at Yale, where he coached for nearly 3 seasons.  While coaching there, Ford also went to Yale Law School.  After receiving his law degree, Ford left football.
 
Ford's predecessor in the Oval Office, Richard Nixon, was a four-year member of the Whittier (CA) College football team.  Nixon, however, did not have the same gridiron success as Ford...he was a bench-warmer who made the team only because Whittier could never find enough players.  "Scout Team" accurately describes "Tricky Dick's" football career.  Nixon's most memorable contribution to college football, though, was his attendance at the legendary Arkansas-Texas game in 1969, and, after the clash between the two top-ranked teams, awarded the game ball to the winning Longhorns in their locker room.
 
Ronald Reagan may have been more famous as an actor before his political career, but he was also a good athlete.  He went to Eureka (IL) College on an athletic scholarship, and played other sports along with football at the school.  After graduation, Reagan served for a short time as the play-by-play man for University of Iowa football...before heading off to Hollywood.
 
A special note...although he did not play football at Yale, George H.W. Bush was a good baseball player...and was on the Yale squad that played in the first-ever College World Series.
 
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With the 2008 Presidential campaign in full-swing, it does not look like we will have a collegiate gridiron alum to add to the list.  However, college basketball could have some Executive Office "March Madness" to look forward to.
 
Craig Robinson, head basketball coach at Brown, has his Bears in contention for the Ivy League title.
 
Robinson's sister, Michelle, is married to Democrat Presidential candidate Barack Obama.
 
Just think....Robinson and his team could be invited to the White House...whether they win or not.

Daniel contributes to Fantasy Collge Blitz .