Bipartisan coach: Buckeyes' Meyer praises Obama, Bush

You'll get no political partisanship from Ohio State football coach Urban Meyer.

Meyer, who has visited the White House twice in the past decade after leading the University of Florida to the college football championship, has nothing but praise for the two presidents who hosted him, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

"First one was George Bush (in 2007)," Meyer told Sports Illustrated in an interview. "I love him. It was great. I still keep in touch with him."

Meyer and the Florida Gators visited the White House again in 2009, Obama's first year in office.

"President Obama was fantastic," Meyer told SI. "I'll never forget, he said: 'I want to shake every man's hand.'"

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Meyer returns to the White House to visit Obama on Monday, having led his new team — Ohio State — to the college football title in January.

"I already spoke to him, and I'm really excited for our players," Meyer said. "We'll try to make it a good trip, go where Martin Luther King Jr. gave his 'I Have a Dream' speech. I have an expert that's going to talk them about what actually happened, who lived it back then. I'm going to make it a classroom for our players."