WASHINGTON -- The White House ceremony to honor the Super Bowl champion New England Patriots on Wednesday was highlighted by President Donald Trump singling out seven players in a ceremony on the South Lawn, with rookie wide receiver Malcolm Mitchell later sharing his reaction to being one of them.

“Almost brought me to tears,” said Mitchell, 23, a 2016 fourth-round draft choice from Georgia. “As a child growing up, I never would have thought a president would have said my name by any means.”

Mitchell’s veteran poise in Super Bowl LI was referenced by Trump despite the fact he was just a rookie. The native of Valdosta, Georgia, has used his platform as a Super Bowl champion to encourage the importance of reading around the country, which is based on his personal experience of struggling as a student.

He called Wednesday’s visit “phenomenal” and “full of new experiences.”

“As a kid, you read about history, read about the White House -- to actually go in and experience firsthand is something I hope everyone gets the opportunity to do,” Mitchell said.

In addition to Mitchell, Trump specifically mentioned these players: long snapper Joe Cardona (Naval Academy), wide receiver Danny Amendola (clutch catches), defensive end Trey Flowers (big sack), receiver Julian Edelman (dramatic catch), offensive tackle Marcus Cannon (representing an overall solid O-line), special-teams captain Matthew Slater (Bart Starr Award winner) and core special-teams player Nate Ebner (U.S. Olympic rugby team and Super Bowl champ).

The Patriots had 34 players attend the White House ceremony. That number is consistent with the Patriots’ prior visits in 2004 and 2005, but is considerably lower than visits in 2002 and 2015.