Tag: Manti Te’o

Manti Te’o gets choked up talking about Tua Tagovailoa’s concussion

Te’o was clearly shaken up about Tua’s injury

The game of football has created some great relationships, and that is exactly what has happened with former Notre Dame star linebacker [autotag]Manti Te’o[/autotag] and current Miami Dolphins quarterback [autotag]Tua Tagovailoa[/autotag].

The former Alabama All-American had a rough game against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday night, throwing three interceptions in the loss. Not only that, Tagovailoa suffered his third concussion of his NFL career, leaving many to wonder what is next.

Te’o, who recently joined the NFL Network as an analyst, was asked his thoughts on Tua’s injury, as they have bonded due to their Polynesian background. You can visibly see the former Irish star was shaken up.

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Manti brought up his previous playing experience dealing with a concussion, as he wants Tua to make the right decision and wants what is best for his family.

All of our thoughts and prayers go out to Tagovailoa, as he recovers from his latest injury.

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Manti Te’o emotionally talked about Tua Tagovailoa’s future after Dolphins QB’s latest concussion

So heartbreaking.

Manti Te’o is apparently connected to Tua Tagovailoa and his family.

And the former NFL linebacker couldn’t help but get emotional about the Miami Dolphins quarterback on Friday after the QB’s latest concussion while appearing on Good Morning Football.

He said that after he saw the head injury Tagovailoa suffered against the Bengals, he “wanted him to walk [away].”

“This is just a game,” he added, “and then there’s life.”

Te’o went on to add that he’s known Tagovailoa as a little kid and how hard it was to watch given what the ex-NFLer knows about suffering concussions.

He wants to see Tagovailoa be able to healthily raise his kids, but Te’o wouldn’t go as far as to call for him to retire. He just wants the best for him.

Watch:

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See legendary Notre Dame LB Manti Te’o attending game vs. Northern Illinois

Manti is in the house!

The season opener has a bit of a home coming feel for it, especially for former Notre Dame star linebacker [autotag]Manti Te’o[/autotag].

His time in South Bend was a memorable one, becoming an All-American while winning the Chuck Bednarik Award, Bronko Nagurski Award, Butkus Award, Lott Trophy, the Walter Camp Award and the Maxwell Award. It was decorated indeed.

Recently, Te’o joined the NFL Network as an analyst, and made the trip home ahead of the first Sunday of the season. His family joined him as well, which surely made the visit even more memorable. You can see them here from the official Notre Dame football X account.

Manti Te’o is on the ballot to be a 2025 College Football Hall of Famer
Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-USA TODAY Sports

It’s great that head coach Marcus Freeman has opened the doors to former players, giving more of a family feel to the program.

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Former LB Manti Te’o gives harsh take on Deshaun Watson

The former Notre Dame and NFL linebacker had a strong take on what the Browns should do with Deshaun Watson

On his appearance on Good Morning Football Wednesday morning, former linebacker Manti Te’o suggested that the Cleveland Browns would be best served by moving on from quarterback DeShaun Watson. He alluded to a similar move made this off-season by the Denver Broncos who ate a massive dead cap hit to move off Russell Wilson.

“…you get into a situation where you’ve invested so much money into a player and it’s not working out…” he continued.

Te’o proceeded to list multiple players such as Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward to suggest the urgency to win now while they’re contributing, specifying the team’s winning window is open with the strength of their defense.

The conversation came about when discussing the Browns’ expectations for 2024 and what version of Watson to expect this upcoming season.

It’s a little too late for suggestions involving 2024, though it’s possible the thought is in the back of the Browns’ mind when they kept four QBs on their roster post-cut day. Still, at least one is expected to be moved.

For now, the Browns have continued to dedicate resources to Watson and hope to get the best version of him yet following a playoff appearance that they achieved largely without him.

Three Notre Dame players named to Lombardi Award Watch List

Think any of them has a shot to win it?

Blockers are the unsung heroes of both sides of the line in football. Without them, none of the players on the other units would be allowed to do what they can do. It only makes sense that college football gives out the Lombardi Award for the best lineman every year.

The watch list for the 2024 season has come out, and three Notre Dame players are on it. Two of them of defensive tackles [autotag]Howard Cross III[/autotag] and [autotag]Rylie Mills[/autotag]. The other is [autotag]Mitchell Evans[/autotag], one of two tight ends to make the watch list. A tight end has never won this award, so Evans would make history if he went home with the hardware.

Notre Dame has had five players win this award, tied for the second most of any school. [autotag]Manti Te’o[/autotag] was the last player to win it in 2012. That being the case, the Irish are overdue for another winner, so let’s watch one of these gentlemen be the next one for them.

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Manti Te’o knew Alvin Kamara would be special from his first day at minicamp

Manti Te’o knew Alvin Kamara would be special from his first day at minicamp. He had to demonstrate how the then-rookie running back put him in a blender:

Manti Te’o says he knew Alvin Kamara would be special from their first day at minicamp back in 2017. The veteran linebacker had followed his position coach Mike Nolan to join the New Orleans Saints that offseason, and he was eager to show the team what he could do at their first real day of practice.

But Te’o had to shrug when he was matched up with a rookie running back for individual drills, only to feel confused when the offensive coaches started grinning knowingly.

Te’o has joined NFL Network’s Good Morning Football studio show, and this week he had to get up and demonstrate how Kamara put him in a blender. It’s clear that he gained a lot of respect for Kamara after an eye-opening rep at practice.

And Te’o hopes the new offense being called by Klint Kubiak will feature Kamara doing what he does best in situations just like what he described: “He’s somebody that I hope, I hope that the New Orleans Saints don’t use him to block like they were using him last year. That’s the worst thing you do with him. That’s not what he’s going to make the Hall of Fame for. He’s going to make the Hall of Fame for getting the ball.”

Te’o said there’s just one other running back who is as challenging to cover as Kamara — San Francisco 49ers superstar Christian McCaffrey. Hopefully Kubiak’s firsthand experience to how McCaffrey has been used applies to his vision for Kamara. Since entering the league in 2017, McCaffrey is the only player in the NFL with more receptions (509) than Kamara (505). Te’o added, “I played against both of them. Them in the backfield, it is impossible to guard them.”

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Legendary Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o joining NFL Network

Good luck, Manti!

Look at those who have played for Notre Dame over the past 15 years, and it’s hard to find anyone who made a bigger impact than [autotag]Manti Te’o[/autotag].

He was a Heisman Trophy finalist when the Irish came within a game of winning the 2012 national championship. Even after his embarrassing catfishing scandal, he played in 62 NFL games over seven seasons.

Now, Te’o is ready for the next chapter in his football life. In an appearance on “Good Morning Football”, he announced he’s joining the NFL Network. Here’s a portion of what he said while making his announcement:

It’s great to see Te’o put his past behind him enough that he’s able to move forward and take a gig like this. He’s made it clear that he won’t let catfishing become his legacy. While that’s a tall order in a world defined by social media, at least he’s making an effort to change the narrative. We wish him well with this venture.

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Notre Dame quarterback Riley Leonard makes prestigious award watchlist

Congrats Riley!

The [autotag]Maxwell Award[/autotag] is annually given out to the top all-around player in college football, and Notre Dame football quarterback [autotag]Riley Leonard[/autotag] made its 2024 watchlist.

The transfer quarterback will take over the starting job this fall, and the expectations are huge. Paired with the return of offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock, and the improved wide receiver room, Leonard should be in line for a big year.

It’s worth noting that he was the only Irish player listed, but you could expect running back [autotag]Jeremiyah Love[/autotag] to potentially be an addition as the season goes on.  Also, one of the many Notre Dame wide receivers could emerge as a candidate as well.

Either way, it’s great to see that Leonard is on the watchlist for such a prestigious award. The last Notre Dame player to win the Maxwell Award was linebacker [autotag]Manti Te’o[/autotag] in 2012.

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Could Manti Te’o be headed to NFL Network?

Mornings with Manti?

One of the better sports morning shows over the years has been Good Morning Football on NFL Network.  Although the show hasn’t been the same since Kay Adams departed in 2022, it still remains one of the better morning talk shows as there are actual discussions instead of just loud noises and strawman arguments.

The show is currently on hiatus as it moves from New York to Los Angeles and is also looking for a new co-host as former NFL defensive back Jason McCourty isn’t moving with the show.

According to Andrew Marchand of The Athletic, former Notre Dame great [autotag]Manti Te’o[/autotag] is a name to keep an eye on to potentially replace McCourty.

Akbar Gbajabiamila, who played for the Raiders, Chargers, and Dolphins in his career was also mentioned as a potential replacement.

Te’o of course was one of the best linebackers to ever play at Notre Dame, finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting in 2012.  He spent 8 seasons in the NFL with the Chargers, Saints, and Bears from 2013-2020.

Related: Best photos of Manti Te’o at Notre Dame

A Look Back at Manti Te’o’s Legendary Career at Notre Dame

One of the all-time greats in Notre Dame history!

Monday brought news of the latest nominations to join the College Football Hall of Fame class of 2024 with all-time great Notre Dame linebacker [autotag]Manti Te’o[/autotag] appearing on the ballot for the first time.

Te’o was a mega-recruit out of Hawai’i that stunned the college football world when he committed to Notre Dame over USC back in the winter of 2009.

Te’o didn’t take long to make an impact as he recorded 63 tackles as a true freshman in what wound up being Charlie Weis’ final year as head coach.

2010 saw Te’o make a career high in tackles when he recorded 133 while recording one sack and making 9.5 tackles for loss while in 2011 he recorded a career high 13.5 tackles for loss.

Te’o went from being very good to downright great in 2012 however.  That year Te’o was the unquestioned leader of Notre Dame’s elite defense as he recorded 113 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and 5.5 tackles for loss.  His seven interceptions were a huge reason he was a Heisman Trophy finalist as he helped lead Notre Dame to a 12-0 regular season before falling in the national championship game.

Take a look back at the best photos of Manti Te’o at Notre Dame below: