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Trump hosts college football champion LSU Tigers at White House

President Donald Trump speaks at an event with the 2019 college football national champion Louisiana State University Tigers Friday in the East Room of the White House. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI
1 of 5 | President Donald Trump speaks at an event with the 2019 college football national champion Louisiana State University Tigers Friday in the East Room of the White House. Photo by Sarah Silbiger/UPI | License Photo

Jan. 17 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump welcomed the Louisiana State University Tigers football team to the White House on Friday, describing the championship football team "maybe the best ever."

The team, which defeated Clemson 42-25 in the College Football Playoff title game Monday, completed a perfect 15-0 campaign for its fourth national championship in school history. It was their first title since 2007.

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"This team is said to be one of the best ever, maybe the best ever," Trump said during a ceremony in the Oval Office.

"This team showed the world what it means to look out for another."

Trump praised LSU for overcoming what he described as a "brutal schedule" and for defeating a team that had gone 28-0 over the last two regular seasons. He also complimented head coach Ed Orgeron for leading the team to victory.

"If I was casting a movie, I told them today, that's my football coach. There's nobody that can play the role better," Trump said.

Orgeron and quarterback Joe Burrow called the invitation to visit the White House "an honor."

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"Thank you for having us so soon after the game so the seniors could be a part of this," Burrow told Trump. "It's a moment we'll never forget."

The team presented Trump with an LSU jersey with his name on the back as well as the number "45," a reference to his role as the 45th president of the United States.

Trump, who attended the title game in New Orleans, met the team before traveling to his Mar-a-Lago resort in South Florida for the weekend.

Since taking office, Trump has welcomed two other college football champions -- Alabama in 2018 and Clemson a year ago.

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