"I want a West Point football player."

[snopes]

Comment: In President Bush's speech at West Point, he attributed the
following to General George C. Marshall during WW II: "I want an officer
for a secret and dangerous mission. I want a West Point football player."
I am a West point graduate myself, and have long heard (at West Point)
that this story is apocryphal. Since the Presdient used it in his speech,
that makes me wonder... did Marshall really say that?

[ganzfeld]

Apparently it says it on a plaque there. (I think one point of the story missing here is that Marshall graduated from VMI.)

[applepwnz]

I don't see what the big deal is? I mean a West Point graduate who played football would be presumably extremely well trained, intelligent, and in top physical condition, in other words - exactly what Marshall was looking for.