When you list the biggest names in the last quarter-century of Notre Dame football, few players are bigger than 2012 Heisman Trophy runner-up Manti Te’o.
Te’o was one of the most decorated recruits to choose Notre Dame, and of those to attend, he had the career that perhaps best met such high expectations, being a very key piece in the Irish return to glory in 2012.
Then came an off-the-field story you wouldn’t believe if it was in a Hollywood film.
Although he was a star in college, his production never had the same peaks in the NFL. That said, he has spent eight years collecting paychecks from the San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints in some capacity, so it was by no means bad, either.
Te’o gets remembered for one of the all-time strangest stories you’ll ever hear, but that’s made some forget just how big of a star Te’o was at Notre Dame. He finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2012 to Johnny Manziel, something I still don’t agree with but so be it.
Take a look back now at Te’o through the years – a high school megastar to Notre Dame legend and NFL veteran.