Trump awards Medal of Freedom to college football coach Lou Holtz for highly accomplished life

President Trump on Thursday awarded former college football coach Louis Leo Holtz with the Medal of Freedom, in an Oval Office ceremony.

The medal is the nation's highest civilian honor awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors.

Holtz, 83, was awarded the medal for his career as one of the greatest football coaches of all time with his record wins at the University of Notre Dame and several other colleges. He inspired young athletes while making significant accomplishments during his career.

"His towering reputation will endure forever in the chronicles of athletics, but more importantly in the chronicles of life because he's really a life teacher," Trump said at the ceremony. "He teaches people how to live and how to live properly."

Before receiving the award, Holtz spoke in gratitude of the award.

"I want to assure you how proud I am, not only to receive the award, I'm even prouder to receive it from President Donald Trump, who I think was the greatest president during my lifetime."