Former US President George W. Bush and his wife Laura have made a rare public appearance to take part in the pregame coin toss at a college football game in Texas.
The 80-year-old former commander-in-chief and the former First Lady surprised fans ahead of the clash between Wake Forest and SMU on Saturday afternoon.
A video posted to social media by ESPN College Football showed the couple walking out to the middle of the field to handle the ceremonial duties before kickoff.
Bush appeared in great spirits as he greeted the players and officials at midfield, sporting a casual navy blue jacket and a wide smile for the packed stadium crowd.
The couple have deep ties to Southern Methodist University, as the George W. Bush Presidential Center is famously located right on the university’s Dallas campus.
They’ve largely stayed out of the political spotlight in recent years, making their unexpected weekend appearance on the field even more special for fans.
Former US President George W. Bush and his wife Laura have made a rare public appearance to take part in the pregame coin toss at a college football game in Texas
The 80-year-old former commander-in-chief and the former First Lady surprised fans ahead of the clash between Wake Forest and SMU on Saturday afternoon
Their public appearance comes one year after Bush shocked fans with a surprise cameo on ESPN’s ManningCast for a Monday Night Football showdown.
The former president joined Eli and Peyton Manning for their coverage of the clash between the Dallas Cowboys and Las Vegas Raiders last season.
At the start of the broadcast, Eli said: ‘When president’s have important addresses to the nation, they often prepare for weeks, if not months. So my question is, how long have you been preparing for this ManningCast appearance?’
‘About ten minutes,’ the former president replied with a wry grin.
He continued: ‘By the way, I’m so pleased to see your faces not on the TV commercial,’ before the trio burst into laughter.
Just one month prior to that appearance, Bush and wife Laura were on the field prior to a MNF game between the Cardinals and the Cowboys at AT&T Stadium.
During that visit, Bush was caught marveling at the size of Cardinals defensive lineman Calais Campbell as the former president joined the coin toss for the game.
The 43rd president, who served from 2001 to 2009, flipped the coin before kickoff and appeared to be struck by Cardinals veteran Campbell.
