America's Team: The All-Presidential Small Forward

Our quest to shape the nation's ultimate basketball team out of its 43 presidents continues...

Today, we tackle the small forward position. The three spot is usually taken by a bruiser, someone a bit undersized, but with the tenaciousness and toughness to grab rebounds and play good defense. The ability to knock down the open jump shot, or take the ball to the hole is also necessary. Think Charles Barkley.

That's why we're going with the original rough rider, Teddy Roosevelt. TR was average height for his day (about 5' 8") but was powerfully built, and, despite being sickly as a child, developed into a good athlete, outdoors man, and soldier. He also showed his toughness by busting the oil and railroad trusts that dominated the late 19th century, and threatened American liberty.

Roosevelt is commonly acknowledged as being the most energetic figure of his era, which can probably be attributed to his extreme coffee habit (he drank about a gallon a day).

TR's Stats:

Height: 5' 8"
Weight: fluctuated, but about 190 lbs.
School: Harvard
Party: Republican
Nickname: TR, Teddy

So, our Presidential line up looks like this:

Point Guard: George Washington
Shooting Guard: John F. Kennedy
Small Forward: Theodore Roosevelt