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All of the sights and sounds from the Broncos' trip to the White House

President Obama honored the Broncos for their Super Bowl 50 win.

By Jeanna Kelley

One of the perks of winning a Super Bowl is traveling to Washington, D.C. to visit the White House and meet the president. The Denver Broncos got their turn on Monday when President Obama honored them for their Super Bowl 50 win over the Carolina Panthers

A couple of former Broncos were unable to make the trip. Quarterback Brock Osweiler, who started seven games for Denver last season while Peyton Manning was injured, is tied up with minicamp with his new team, the Houston Texans. Evan Mathis was also unable to attend, as his presence was required at Arizona Cardinals minicamp. Louis Vasquez, who is currently a free agent, was unable to travel with the team to Washington because his wife was in labor.

A current Broncos player was unable to make the trip as well. Cornerback Aqib Talib, who is recovering after being shot over the weekend, was not physically able to travel. It's a shame, too, because Talib had a new suit custom made and everything.

On the way to DC

Plenty of former Broncos still made the trip with the team. Linebacker Danny Trevathan, who is now with the Chicago Bears, wasn't impressed with the flight Denver arranged for him.

Not giving priority seating to former Broncos seemed to be a theme. Offensive tackle Tyler Polumbus, who retired following the team's Super Bowl victory, was relegated to tight quarters on the flight to Washington.

Obviously, only players who were on the team last season when the Broncos won the Super Bowl were invited to the White House. That meant Russell Okung, who came to Denver in free agency this offseason, was left behind.

Checking out the White House

The team got an in-depth tour of the White House. Super Bowl MVP Von Miller, who was documenting it all on Snapchat, especially enjoyed the White House napkins and taking photos with artwork he'd be flagged for touching:

Von Miller

Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips played tour guide on Twitter, adding some key insights.

President Obama, however, confirmed that he is still a Bears fan.

Meeting POTUS

Wide receiver Demaryius Thomas had said that he planned to slip President Obama a note thanking him for commuting his mother's prison sentence last year. Thomas' mother, Katina Smith, spent 15 years in jail for her role in a cocaine trafficking ring, and her sentence was commuted in November. She saw her son play football for the first time in January 2016. Thomas did get the opportunity to thank Obama for intervening. His grandmother remains in prison, however, for her role in the same drug ring.

President Obama opened his remarks by mimicking Manning's play calls, starting with the infamous "Omaha."

The president also referred to Manning as "the guy from the commercials" and said that, while it was disappointing to see Peyton hang it up, as someone who's just a little older than Manning he understood.

Obama singled out the performance of Miller, saying his dominant postseason play was "not bad for a guy who prides himself on his collection of eyeglasses and claims to have been a geek all his life."

Obama also drew laughs when he identified kicker Brandon McManus as the heart and soul of Denver's offensive attack.

He acknowledged Broncos owners Pat and Annabel Bowlen, noting the team has had more Super Bowl appearances than losing seasons over the course of Bowlen's ownership of the team. Annabel Bowlen presented Obama with a Broncos jersey, with his name and No. 44 on the back.

The team also gave President Obama a signed helmet, which he appreciated.

"I need a helmet. You get knocked around here in Washington quite a bit," Obama said.

Reactions from the players and coaches

After the speeches were finished and the photos were taken, Broncos players and coaches took to Twitter to react to the once-in-a-lifetime experience.

RP @broncos White House was amazing .

A photo posted by Chris Harris Jr (@chrisharrisjr) on

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