President Joe Biden on Monday honored the United States Military Academy with the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy for coming out on top last year against the U.S. Naval Academy and U.S. Air Force Academy in their long-standing college football competition.

About six dozen players from the Army Black Knights joined the president on-stage in the White House’s East Room for Monday’s ceremony, with Biden hailing the group as representing “the very best of who we are as Americans.” 

“Every day after you hang up that uniform, you immediately put on another uniform – one representing the United States of America,” Biden said. “Everyone on this stage stepped up to serve, to lead, to join a long-line of American servicemen, each a link in a chain of honor in America.” 

Biden began his remarks acknowledging some in attendance, including chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who the president noted is a “proud” West Point graduate himself. 

Last season, the Army bested both the Navy Midshipmen and the Air Force Falcons, solidifying a record of six wins and six loses. Monday marked the tenth time the Army clinched the Commander-in-Chief’s trophy, still below both the Navy and Air Force’s overall numbers, which are 16 and 21 respectively. 

The president noted that many of the cadets on stage on Monday will hear him twice as he is set to deliver the remarks at the U.S. Military Academy’s graduation ceremony later this month. 

"I'm confident that in years to come, you will be willing to bring the same toughness, tenacity, comradery and accountability to our country that you brought to the field in every single game," Biden said. 

“Let me close with one brief final thought,” the president said at the end of his remarks. “Go Army.” 

The president noted he “wasn’t even allowed” to mention any other team after his late son, Beau Biden, joined the army. The younger Biden, who died in 2015 of brain cancer, was a major in an Army National Guard unit deployed to Iraq in 2008.