The undisputed leader of the Fighting Irish and a defensive nightmare for opposing offenses, Manti Te’o has led Notre Dame back into the spotlight with its highest national ranking since 2006. He is the school’s 17th NFF National Scholar-Athlete.
Set to graduate this December with a degree in graphic design, the Laie, Hawaii, native was named the 2011 Notre Dame Football Student-Athlete of the Year. He was also selected as a Second Team Academic All-American and First Team All-District honoree as a junior.
Te’o is a two-time Second Team All-America performer who has already been named the Lott IMPACT Player of the Week three times this season. A finalist for the Butkus Award and the Lott Trophy as a junior, the two-year team captain has led the Irish to consecutive bowl berths, including a win in the 2010 Sun Bowl. His 133 tackles in 2010 were the most by a Notre Dame player in 27 years, and he recorded the third-most tackles (66) ever by an Irish freshman. Te’o leads the fifth-ranked Irish with 69 tackles and co-shares the top spot in interceptions (4) this season.
A volunteer for the South Bend Center for the Homeless and for the Tackle the Arts initiative, Te’o is a three-year participant in Christmas parties for ill children. He also reads to patients in the hematology/oncology unit at the local hospital. Te’o has taken part in the Irish Experience League, a Sunday camp that allows local kids to play sports with Notre Dame student-athletes. He was selected in the second round (38th overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers and has started 19 games in the last two seasons, accumulating 134 total tackles, one sack and one interception. Te'o is listed at the top of the depth chart at inside linebacker for the 2015 season.
