In the long history of Notre Dame football few players have drawn as much attention as former star Fighting Irish linebacker [autotag]Manti Te’o.[/autotag] Te’o helped guide the Irish to a 12-0 regular season in 2012 when he finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting after putting up a year that saw him record seven interceptions, 113 tackles, and 1.5 sacks.
On a star-filled defense he shined the brightest as he exceeded the lofty expectations that were put in place the second he announced his commitment to Notre Dame.
As we all know, things to a crazy turn for Te’o after it turned out that who he thought was his girlfriend didn’t actually exist and one of the strangest stories any of us will ever see wound up playing out.
Te’o will be back on campus this weekend when Notre Dame hosts Cal as the Irish look for their first win of 2022. According to Pete Sampson of The Athletic, Te’o will walk with the team from pregame mass to the stadium.
Te’o has been on campus and in the stadium a couple of times since he last suited up for Notre Dame in that memorable 2012 season but after the recent documentary was released about the catfishing drama he was a product of, this visit will likely feel a tad different.
Check out some photos of Te’o from his outstanding Notre Dame football career below.