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Auburn, Ala. - Auburn head football coach Tommy Tuberville's seven-day Middle East Tour with four fellow college football coaches concluded on Monday with a trip to the White House and a 20-minute visit with President George W. Bush.

Upon his return, Tuberville had time to reflect on his experiences.

"It was more productive than what I could have ever imagined," Tuberville said. "I felt good about this country in terms of what we're doing to protect these young people when they're over there, plus being able to secure freedom for us.''

During the seven-day tour, Tuberville and the remainder of the coaches on the tour--Mark Richt of Georgia, Randy Shannon of Miami (Fla.), Jack Siedlecki of Yale and Charlie Weis of Notre Dame--had the opportunity to visit with countless troops and military personnel.

"I think the most productive moments for us were when we could just sit at a table and let them talk," Tuberville said. "This was ongoing. We tried to give them as much of our time as we possibly could. You couldn't sleep because of the time change. The days were short, but they were long -- at the end of the day, you're just trying to find a way to sign another autograph.''

The second leg of the tour started last Friday as the group visited troops on the USS Nassau for a 24-hour stay. While aboard the Nassau, the coaches toured the vessel, signed posters and T-shirts on Friday evening and held a Q&A in the hangar bay on Saturday.

The final day of the trip concluded on Sunday with a flag football game, with Tuberville and Richt's team facing off against a team led by Shannon and Siedlecki. The SEC-coached team converted a two-point conversion to win, 14-12.

"Several months ago they told some of the troops at one base we were coming and they asked if they could have a flag football game," Tuberville said. "They made their own football field. It's nothing but sand. They got all the rocks off this field, leveled it, put up some lights and put in lines. They were really excited about it.

"That day, they put in a full day's work," Tuberville said. "They went out and stretched and played the game. They were really into this. This wasn't one of those deals that was kind of a joke. They practiced. We played for about an hour and a half. It was very competitive."

Sunday's activities began with a tour of the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing and concluded with a steak-and-lobster dinner with the base in an outdoor pavilion. The tour departed at 2:45 a.m. local time for the 15-hour trip back to Washington D.C.

The trip put life into perspective for Tuberville, who is entering his 10th year at Auburn.

"It brings everything into reality, in terms of what life is about," Tuberville said. "Everybody has a passion for something. I was very much encouraged by the determination these kids have. They're not over there just to put their time in. They are over there to do it right. I learned a lot from these kids about patience.

"We talked to a lot of them about what their jobs are. Everybody has a job over there. You have to do it the best you can. Teamwork is very important. We met four-star generals, two-stars, colonels, majors. These guys know what they are doing and love doing it."

Upon arrival at Andrews Air Force Base on Memorial Day in Maryland, the group was met by the Air Force, who took them to the White House, where they met with President Bush in the Oval Office. The President presented each of the coaches with a tie clip and golf ball, each with the presidential seal.

Following the visit, the coaches and President Bush met with the press.

"I wanted them to know how much I appreciate [their] going to say to these young men and women, 'Thanks for what you're doing,'" the president said. "This is Memorial Day. It's a day to honor not only those who have died in combat, but it's to honor those who continue to serve. And these men make a living motivating young men on the football field, and I am absolutely confident that when our soldiers and sailors and Marines and airmen and Coast Guard men and women met them that they inspired them.

"I'm grateful to you all for going, and I'm really grateful that you expressed the gratitude of the American people."

Morale Entertainment organized the tour in association with Armed Forces Entertainment. The tour, which was sponsored by Under Armour, is a first of its kind for NCAA football and Armed Forces Entertainment.

A television concept for the tour is being developed by Morale Entertainment in conjunction with Big Dog Productions. Broadcast details will be released at a later time.

After his visit to the White House, Tuberville traveled to Destin, Fla., where the 2008 Southeastern Conference Spring Meetings began on Tuesday.