Ryan Dunleavy

Staff writer

PISCATAWAY - Call it a home-and-home between Chris Ash and President Barack Obama.

About one year after they first met at the White House when the Ohio State football team was celebrating its national championship, Ash and Obama were re-introduced last weekend before the 44th president of the United States gave the commencement address at Rutgers.

With Obama on Ash’s new home turf – university graduation was held at High Point Solutions Stadium – the first-year Rutgers football coach came bearing gifts to their brief interaction before the guest of honor took his spot on the dais.

RELATED: Inside story of how a Rutgers student interviewed Obama

“We presented him with a Rutgers football jersey with his name on the back,” Ash said. “To have him here for graduation and get a chance to shake his hand, it was an outstanding experience.”

Rutgers athletics director Pat Hobbs and inspirational former player Eric LeGrand also were among the Rutgers VIPs to meet Obama.

It is customary for the yearly champions from the major United States professional sports leagues and college football and college basketball to visit the White House for a tour and a meet-and-greet with the sitting president.

The 1924 World Series champion Washington Senators are believed to be at the start of the tradition, according to ESPN.com.

RELATED: Obama tells Eric LeGrand to keep 'inspiring'

Ohio State made its trip in April 2015, when Obama – a big sports fan who picks a March Madness bracket every year – joked about his availability to play quarterback, and coach Urban Meyer thanked the president for voicing his support of the college football playoff system.

Under the BCS rankings systems, Ohio State would not had the opportunity to win the title.

Ash left Ohio State after the 2015 season and was hired by Rutgers as a first-time head coach.

“It was an outstanding day for Rutgers in general,” Ash said. “To have somebody like him speak to the graduates is something special that doesn’t happen on every college campus, and the fact that it happened here is something we have to cherish.”

In his 40-plus-minute speech, Obama mentioned that Rutgers is home to the “winners of the first-ever college football game (and) one of the newest members of the Big Ten."

Staff Writer Ryan Dunleavy: rdunleavy@gannettnj.com