There have been plenty of surprises in the 2012 college football season, none bigger than the rise of the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame to the top of the BCS standings with a perfect 12-0 season.
Notre Dame came into this season unranked and on nobody’s radar to compete for a national title. But now everything has changed, they completed their perfect season this past week when they defeated their rivals of USC in the Trojans’ house.
The Fighting Irish have many good players on their team; in fact, they have many great players on their team. But no player is better, more valuable, and more of a leader than Notre Dame’s star senior linebacker Manti Te’o.
Manti has been recognized national as one of, if not the best, linebacker in the country. Some go even as far as to say that he is the best overall defensive player in the country.
Te’o is the captain of the defense and is the leader of the team; he is the true heart and soul of the Notre Dame team and has successfully led his squad to the number 1 ranking in the nation and a spot in the BCS National Title game.
Manti has 101 tackles and 7 interceptions on the season. Along with his stellar stats are his incredible natural instincts that have placed him in a league of his own. Te’o is always near the ball and always seems to step up to make the big play when it needs to be made.
Notre Dame has had their fair share of goal line stances this season, and in every one of them you can certainly find Te’o on the prowl waiting to make the big play.
This young man’s extraordinary play this season has earned him a place in the Heisman hunt. It’s not too often that a defensive player wins the Heisman trophy; in fact the last defensive player to win the trophy was Charles Woodson back in 1997. It doesn’t happen very often at all.
But when a defensive player is even in the discussion for the Heisman you know that he is a top tier talent. Te’o is not only one of the most talented football players in the country but he is also, quite possibly, the best leader in the country.
Manti never hesitates to round up his fellow teammates to give a pep talk; he is always supporting his teammates and helping them to perform their best. He is an honorable player and plays the game with the utmost class.
In Saturday’s game against USC, ESPN commentator Kirk Herbstreit said of Te’o, “he truly represents everything that is good about college football.”
The Fighting Irish may very well lose the national title game to either Alabama or Georgia, and Te’o could certainly miss out in the Heisman race due to Johnny Manziel.
But even if Te’o comes away from this season with no trophies in his hands, he is truly a remarkable
Tyler Rollason is a Winder-Barrow High School graduate and mass communications major at the University of West Georgia. You can e-mail comments about this column to
tyrollason@yahoo.com.
