President Donald Trump delivered the commencement address at West Point marking the U.S. Military Academy’s graduation. While he mentioned a litany of topics in his speech, he took a moment to give an extra-special message to the Army Black Knights football team.
2024 was a banner year for the Black Knights. They won their first-ever conference championship in their first year with the American Athletic Conference and finished with a school record 12 wins along with a top-25 finish.
Trump made mention of the success the football team enjoyed over the past couple of years but gave a special shout out to quarterback Bryson Daily. At one point in the speech, he even called Daily up to the podium to give a little pep talk to his fellow cadets.
Trump brings West Point quarterback Bryson Daily on stage.“The Black Knights fought your way into the top 20 nationally and racked up your longest winning streak since 1949.” pic.twitter.com/dGYC8nRdKb
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) May 24, 2025
“Your sophomore year, Army football beat Navy, 20-17, and the next year, you did it again, beating Navy, 17-11, and dominating Air Force, 23-3,” Trump continued. “But this year, the Black Knights fought your way into the top 20 nationally and racked up your longest winning streak since 1949 with the help of graduating quarterback Cadet Bryson Daily, or as you call him, Captain America. I came to a game. I said, ‘He could get into the NFL.’ But he chose this life. And I think he made a good choice.”
“Go Army football. … Can’t wait to graduate. Love you guys,” Daily said on the stage.
Icon Sportswire/Getty Images
“I just tapped his shoulder. It’s like I hit a piece of steel. The guy’s in good shape,” Trump said after Daily left the stage. “There’s always a reason for success. In a time when other top college quarterbacks were thinking about going pro, Bryson’s mind was on something else. He told an interviewer earlier this year, ‘I’m focused on my career as an infantry officer.’ That’s what he wants to do. So Bryson, you did the right thing. That’s service at its finest. Thanks, Bryson. That’s amazing. He’s an amazing guy with an amazing team.”
After that big moment for Daily and the commencement speech, Daily took to X to give one last message for the President:
“It was an honor, Mr. President,” he wrote.
It was an honor, Mr. President🇺🇸 @realDonaldTrump https://t.co/qohPhvSKUV
— BD13 (@Bryson13Daily) May 24, 2025
Daily set the Black Knights single-season record for rushing touchdowns with 32, nearly doubling the previous record of 17. He also broke the school records for single-season total offense and touchdowns responsible for.
Related: Army vs. Navy Game Makes History With Donald Trump In Attendance
