Teo is BACK!

[rikkitikki08]

Hells yeah to manti coming back and hells yeah to those boobies. But for real manti is what ND is all about. Glad too have him back

 

[WabashFalcon]

After Kelly calling out his non-recruits, I am utterly stunned right now that he is coming back. He'll be top 20 in the draft next year for sure.

Wow. I really don't believe that.

Wow.

 

[Andy in Sactown]

Must be pretty far from the pulse to feel that way.

 

[ndyeater]

Thank you Teo now lets get it done in the Champs sports bowl!

 

[MNIrish14]

Thank you Teo! I suddenly don't care about my finals anymore

 

[arndtjc]

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Seriously great news. But now I am going to have high hopes once again going into next year, and I'm not sure if I can handle anymore heartbreak after the first two weeks of this season.

Don't let me down, Manti, and welcome back!

 

[pumpdog20]

Awesome, but now the Bears are going to have to suck even worse next year to get him.

 

[rtrn2glory]

i decided not to get on and chat last night, but i was home alone and yelled "YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" hoped he would come back and now happy. really shows the unselfishness to not let something like this drag on and become a distraction for the game and in recruiting as well.

 

[ohara831]

Great news that he is coming back. Surprising, but welcomed news to Irish fans.

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

WOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

 

[BobD]

I had to check this thread again this morning to make sure I wasn't dreaming last night. This is awesome news! The off season is going to seem longer now.

 

[irish4ever]

I'd say!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[win14tg]

Most important, Manti is doing the right thing for his future, education, completing his ND degree. But also great to have you back on the football field too.
Great choice for you Manti

 

[IrishSteelhead]

A spoonful of crow has never tasted so good. Really thought he was gone.

 

[Pancake Bandit]

ChiTribHamilton Brian Hamilton
Via @LisaHorne at Lott Trophy ceremony in Cali, Manti Teo: "I feel I'm not done at #NotreDame. I'll be coming back to Notre Dame."

Great news -- Starting off the morning on a high note, thanks!

 

[A Pac]

Our front 7 will be FIERCE next year

 

[RDU Irish]

On a more important note, I don't have to change my picture. Thanks, Manti!

 

[kmoose]

After Kelly calling out his non-recruits, I am utterly stunned right now that he is coming back. He'll be top 20 in the draft next year for sure.

Wow. I really don't believe that.

Wow.

This whole (non)story, and sentiment, needs to just go away. I'm not even sure that Kelly "called out" his non-recruits. I think he was just throwing out a plug for the fact that he can recruit, because so many of the guys that he recruited are on the field, actually playing.

Perhaps you should be stunned more that you bought into the line that was fed to the masses, about Kelly creating this huge rift in the locker room. I find it hard to believe that the rift could be that big if Te'o (who was nominally "the face" of the Weis guys) is passing up a chance to play on Sundays next year. Obviously Kelly did whatever he needed to, in the locker room, to keep these kids together as a team.

 

[koonja]

Just look at those milk duds. God bless this lady.

 

[Pops Freshenmeyer]

This whole (non)story, and sentiment, needs to just go away. I'm not even sure that Kelly "called out" his non-recruits. I think he was just throwing out a plug for the fact that he can recruit, because so many of the guys that he recruited are on the field, actually playing.

Perhaps you should be stunned more that you bought into the line that was fed to the masses, about Kelly creating this huge rift in the locker room. I find it hard to believe that the rift could be that big if Te'o (who was nominally "the face" of the Weis guys) is passing up a chance to play on Sundays next year. Obviously Kelly did whatever he needed to, in the locker room, to keep these kids together as a team.

Well, I thought Kelly's statement was fairly innocuous but the social media responses of the players made me think that an existing rift had been widened.

Te'o's decision to stay does give me hope that it really was a tempest in a teapot and we can all just move on.

So the front seven should be outstanding next season. If the Irish can piece together a secondary the defense should keep them in games. If some receivers step up and ND finds a solution at QB then 2012 could be a good year rather than the painful rebuilding season I have been expecting.

 

[IrishInFl]

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[Old Man Mike]

Controversially perhaps, but I believe that Manti Te'o is more important to the ND football program off the field than on it [and I believe that he is extremely important on it]. Manti is a VERY unusual young man. One of the rare individuals with an immediate "presence" about him. He radiates a depth of character that others may have but in him it somehow washes across you. Te'o is much more than a good football player.

This is why I especially hoped that he would stay, and believed that he would. Manti is much more engaged in the bigger picture of Life than young athletes seem ever to be. I'm hoping that he "sensed the rightness" of finishing what he started with Notre Dame, a sense that I believe is true.

Thank you, young man, for being true to your heart. And thank you for the astonishing presence that you bring to everything around you.

 

[Sherm Sticky]

I like...how much

 

[irishpat183]

I've never been more happy to be wrong in my life....

HELL YEAH!!!!!

 

[mgriff]

**** yea!

 

[irishpat183]

Just look at those milk duds. God bless this lady.

Who is that lady and where do I find her?

Those are glorious....

 

[koonja]

It's great that he's back simply because he's back, but this is even bigger than that. Look at our defense next year. Who was going to provide leadership? Having Manti play along with the young kids who are still growing up will pay dividends in their development.

 

[GoldenIsThyFame]

I am sure these have already been posted but thought I would post again just because of the pure awesomeness:

The Chicago Tribune's Brian Hamilton had an outstanding interview with Brian Te'o on his son's decision to return to ND. The father actually recommended he turn pro, but this is what he told Hamilton of their meeting on Saturday night.

"One of inspiring things he shared with us was, what can he live with if decided to go pro?" Brian Te'o said. "Can he live with not having the memory of his senior season? Could I be satisfied with millions and live without the memory? Or can I live without the millions and have the memories?

"He goes, 'I can do that. I can live with my career possible ending at Notre Dame.' If he leaves this life in general, he'll know he gave Notre Dame everything he had. He felt he didn't do that yet. He really hasn't given Notre Dame everything he's got."

"It was clear to me where his heart was. It wasn't a difficult decision. There was more difficulty in trying to explain to Mom and Dad what he decided. If there was struggle, it was more a distraction, he said. People were telling him you should leave, you should stay -- he just felt conflicted. A lot of people he looked up to (were) telling him to go two different ways.

"He wanted to be a senior. More than anything he wanted to walk around that stadium one last time, whether it was in pads or in crutches. He said he will walk and give his final goodbyes. He couldn’t see himself declaring for NFL and not having that opportunity to say goodbye to Notre Dame.

"From listening to him (Saturday) night, that boy truly loves Notre Dame. He truly loves Notre Dame, despite all the shenanigans that may have happened in this past season, and some of that pointed directly to him -- it didn't matter to him. I was very proud at him for that."

 

[Who'saWildManNow]

^ I'm so impressed with this kid.

 

[jimmymac]

He will have a scary senior season. The amount of work he's going to put in this off season to ensure success will bring this defense to another level. He's one of the best leaders I think I've ever seen, and its a privledge to watch him play every day.