Jesse Jackson speaks to Aggies post-loss to Louisville

Rev. Jesse Jackson is one of North Carolina A&T's most famous alums. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

LEXINGTON, Ky. - It has been a memorable few days for the North Carolina A&T Aggies. On Tuesday night they edged Liberty 73-72 in a First Four game in Dayton for the first NCAA tournament in program history–they had lost their opening game in their previous nine appearances–and on Thursday they got a visit from the school's most famous alumnus, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, in Lexington. Jackson rode on the team bus before the game and led the team in a pre-game prayer before sitting with school chancellor Harold Martin during the Aggies' 79-48 loss to top overall seed Louisville.

After the game, Jackson spoke to the team about the result of the game pales in comparison to the value of graduating from college, at one point asking the team's seven seniors to stand and applauding them. Watch the speech (minus a brief introduction) below.