Watch: Top Ten defensive ending plays in Notre Dame football history

I’m not going to argue that the top two on this wound up sealing wins for Notre Dame over top-ranked teams in the nation. However, you can’t convince me there is a more impressive play on the list than the two goal line tackles made on the east coast to seal victories. 

Notre Dame released another NDTop10 over the weekend with the greatest defensive plays to seal victories being counted down.  In looking at this list it’s important to go realize they’re still thinking biggest wins and not so much actual toughest or most-amazing play to win the games.

Before I share my thought after and what I would have put number one, take a watch for yourself.  Some great memories in this one, almost all I could tell you where I was watching the moments unfold.

Well, except for the couple I wasn’t born yet for…

I’m not going to argue that the top two on this wound up sealing wins for Notre Dame over top-ranked teams in the nation. However, you can’t convince me there is a more impressive play on the list than the two goal line tackles made on the east coast to seal victories.  Stanford in 2012 resulting in a 12-0 regular season I think makes it more impressive than any one of the tackles on that stand, as great as it was.

To me the most impressive plays on the list come in 1995 against Army and in 1998, especially the third down tackle against Boston College.  Both tackles are like running into brick walls, just entirely stopped dead in their tracks, even if bigger opponents and games were won by balls being batted away.

Notre Dame football: Manti Te’o through the years

Few names are better remembered nearly a decade later in college football than Manti Te’o. Take a look at his career through the years here

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.

Polian bids farewell to Notre Dame community

So long as he’s off to the Bayou

News broke late Tuesday morning that Notre Dame special teams coordinator and assistant head coach Brian Polian was leaving to join Brian Kelly’s staff at LSU.  If any further confirmation was needed on top of the Bruce Feldman report, Polian provided that late Tuesday night as he bid farewell to the Notre Dame community on Twitter.

Polian is off to be reunited with Kelly at LSU, the coach that hired him back to Notre Dame in 2017 after he was let as Nevada’s head football coach.  Polian also spent from 2005-2009 as a member of Charlie Weis’s staff at Notre Dame is best remembered during that time for his efforts in successfully recruiting Manti Te’o to South Bend.

Polian was one of just two members of the current remaining Notre Dame staff with head coaching experience so it’ll be worth keeping an eye on to see if Freeman and company hire another assistant with such experience to aid the first-time head coach.

Related:

Notre Dame coaching staff tracker

Notre Dame finalizes 2022 football schedule

Manti Te’o through the years

Everything Marcus Freeman said at introductory press conference

Longtime Notre Dame assistant to join Brian Kelly at LSU

How much will be missed: A ton? Some? Not at all?

Brian Polian, Notre Dame’s assistant head coach and special teams coordinator appears to be headed to join Brian Kelly at LSU.  Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports and The Athletic presented the news on Twitter on Tuesday morning.

As Feldman points out, Polian has experience from the time he spent at Texas A&M, albeit for just one season in 2012.  There a few other things about losing Polian that interest me the most from Notre Dame’s perspective.

As has been well-discussed by many, Marcus Freeman brings no head coaching experience to his new role.  That’s not to say it’ll be the Achilles heal to his ultimate success at Notre Dame, but one would think an assistant with head coaching experience would be important for his first staff.

Losing Polian, who was Nevada’s head coach from 2013-2016, certainly doesn’t answer that question.  Offensive line coach Jeff Quinn, who we’re still unsure the future of, is the only other current assistant with such experience as he was Buffalo’s head coach from 2010-2014.

Next:  Polian’s Rainbow (Hawaii) Connection

Manti Te’o moved to Chicago Bears active roster

Notre Dame legend Manti Te’o will be active on Sunday when the Bears take on the Saints in the NFL Playoffs. Find out why now, here.

When the Chicago Bears take on the New Orleans Saints late Sunday afternoon they’ll be a bit short-handed as middle linebacker Roquan Smith and wide receiver Darnell Mooney both will not play.

As a result, former Notre Dame star and Heisman Trophy runner-up Manti Te’o will make his Chicago Bears debut in the NFL’s Wild Card round as he and defensive back Marqui Christian have been moved to the active roster.

Te’o signed with the Bears as a practice squad member this fall but is yet to see the game field for 8-8 Chicago.

Te’o last appeared in an NFL game for the Saints, where he played in 24 games between 2017 and 2019.not

Te’o is one of four former Notre Dame football standouts who will be suiting up for the Bears on Sunday as he joins offensive linemen Alex Bars and Sam Mustipher as well as tight end Cole Kmet.

Related: 9 Notre Dame players in action this NFL Wild Card Weekend

Fab Four: Selecting Notre Dame football’s Mount Rushmore of all-time recruits

On the eve of early signing day, Fighting Irish Wire recalls the most hyped commits in school history.

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Notre Dame football has attracted some of the biggest names over the years but many of those big names even pale in comparison to others.

With the help of 247Sports, Rivals, ESPN and the thoughts of others, we’ve compiled Notre Dame football’s Mount Rushmore of all-time recruits.

The selections weren’t based on who actually went on to have the greatest careers at Notre Dame, but those who came in with the absolute most hype.

Some met that hype. Some exceeded it. Others came up well short.

Who made it and who were some of the close calls that were left off?

Let’s share and discuss each.

More Mount Rushmores from the College Wire Network:

Bama / Aub / Fla / LSU / Tenn. / UGA // Mich. / Mich St. / Ohio St. / Wisc. // Okla. / Texas // ND // USC

First up, the four honorable mentions…

Manti Te’o signs with Chicago Bears

After getting a workout with them last week, Manti Te’o has inked a deal to join the Chicago Bears. Details here.

One of the most decorated players in the long history of Notre Dame football has inked a new deal with the Chicago Bears on Tuesday as Manti Te’o signed with their practice squad.

The former Notre Dame standout and Heisman Trophy runner-up helped lead the Fighting Irish to a BCS Championship Game appearance in 2012 while racking up countless other awards that season.

Te’o went on to be drafted in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers and played four seasons there before spending parts of the last three seasons with the New Orleans Saints.

Te’o has been credited with 307 tackles in his NFL career with a career high 83 coming in 2015.  He has also pulled down a pair of interceptions at the professional level.

Te’o joins Alex Bars, Cole Kmet and Sam Mustipher as former Notre Dame players currently on the Bears roster.

Notre Dame legend gets tryout with Chicago Bears

One of the best to ever wear blue and gold at Notre Dame was given a tryout with the Chicago Bears this week.

Former Heisman Trophy runner-up and Butkus Award Winner at Notre Dame, Manti Te’o has an NFL tryout this week with the team that has perhaps the greatest lineage of any at interior linebacker position.

That is the Chicago Bears who have called Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary and Brian Urlacher their own, just to name a few.

Te’o last played in the NFL for the Saints in 2019, playing 34 snaps over three games.  He also started for New Orleans in 2017 as he recorded 62 tackles that season.

The Bears are also looking at former Washington State product Deone Buchanon and Justin Phillips of Oklahoma State.

Earlier this week the Bears elevated former Notre Dame offensive lineman Sam Mustipher to the active roster, creating an opening on their practice squad.

Te’o entered Notre Dame in 2009 as one of the biggest recruits in semi-recent memory and helped the Irish to a BCS National Championship Game appearance in 2012.

No word yet on if any of the three of Te’o, Buchanon or Phillips are going to end up getting a deal.

Notre Dame Offers Star Hawaiian Linebacker

Notre Dame has created a nice pipeline to recruiting Hawaii and just made a new scholarship offer to the state’s top prospect in 2022.

Notre Dame’s recent pipeline to recruiting Hawaii is well-documented with Manti Te’o, Robby Toma, Alohi Gilman and the late Kona Schwenke being just a few players that came to South Bend, Indiana from the islands.

Now Notre Dame has their eye on another defensive star as they’ve made a scholarship offer to 2022 outside linebacker Tevarua Tafiti.

Tafiti is listed at 6-3, 205 pounds.  He may have a bit of a narrow build but packs a huge punch as a pass rusher as 247Sports ranks him as a four-star talent.

Notre Dame is the 13th team to make an offer to Tafiti as the Irish join Arizona State, Colorado, Hawaii, Louisville, Michigan, Nebraska, Oregon, Oregon State, Utah, Washington, Washington State and Wisconsin in doing so.

Tafiti had 27 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and three forced fumbles as a sophomore at Punahou High School in Honolulu.

Related:  Way too early game-by-game predictions for 2020 Notre Dame football

Best to Wear Number Five? Notre Dame Legend Left Off List

Who is the best college football player to ever wear number five? Fox Sports asked but left a Notre Dame legend off their list of answers.

In their Cinco De Mayo celebration Tuesday, Fox Sports was asking who the best player to ever wear number five in college football was.  Some great nominees were on there including Reggie Bush, Christian McCaffrey and LaDanian Tomlinson in recent years.

Notre Dame even had a nomination in the form of Manti Te’o who wore jersey number five for the Fighting Irish between 2009-2012, finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting his senior year.

Looking at their list, sure, everyone is a rather modern player with both Edgerrin James and Donovan McNabb ending their college careers in 1998 being the oldest players listed.  They don’t however say a word about there being a year or era requirement to decide.

So, isn’t there a certain Heisman Trophy winner from Notre Dame that is missing from this list?

I get that Paul Hornung is considered by many to be among the most-overrated players in the history of the NFL.  When you hear his name plenty immediately argue against his bust being in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

He’s also the only player to ever win a Heisman Trophy despite playing on a losing team, doing so in 1956.  The quarterback ran for all of 420 yards that season while throwing for 917 more with three touchdown passes, good for the second most total yards in the nation that season (1337).

Hornung beat out Johnny Majors of Tennessee and Tom MacDonald of Oklahoma, who actually received more first place votes that season.  However, isn’t it a little strange to have a number five from a school mentioned as the best to wear a number when the same school produced an actual Heisman winner?

Just a thought.

For the record – the correct answer is Reggie Bush, even if USC isn’t currently allowed to claim him.