Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/102697
pened this year at Notre Dame with senior linebacker Manti Te'o. "I can't find a leader of a team that matches the values of a team he represents as well as Manti Te'o," Notre Dame athletics director Jack Swarbrick said in a swirl of emotions following a 22-13 win at Southern California. "He is the perfect guy to lead the resurrection of this program." Te'o was the total package for his team during his senior season. The numbers: seven major postseason awards, seven interceptions, 103 tackles for a career total of 427. The proud Hawaiian native was as productive as any defender in the country this season. The big moments: His inspired performances against Michigan and Michigan State totaled 20 tackles and three turnovers. He followed with a gameclinching interception against Oklahoma and a litany of other marquee moments. And, of course, the leadership: Te'o's Looking Back Here is a brief rundown of our preseason list of the top 12 players to watch this season and how they fared at the end of the year. 1. LB Manti Te'o (1) 2. TE Tyler Eifert (4) 3. S Jamoris Slaughter (NR) 4. RB Cierre Wood (NR) 5. QB One (8) 6. CB Bennett Jackson (9) 7. DE Stephon Tuitt (6) 8. LT Zack Martin (7) 9. DE Kapron Lewis-Moore (NR) 10. RB Theo Riddick (3) 11. C Braxston Cave (12) 12. RB George Atkinson III (NR) response to the loss of his girlfriend and grandmother in the same day provided inspiration and tested the mettle of their camaraderie. Co-defensive coordinator Bob Diaco said Te'o returned home from a week of back patting in December determined to work even harder to get back in shape. His mood was infectious as the Irish prepared for the national championship game with Alabama. In short, had Te'o left town a season ago to pursue his NFL career, Notre Dame would never have made it to Miami. 2. NG Louis Nix Junior nose guard Louis Nix was nowhere to be found on Blue & Gold Illustrated's preseason list of the "Twelve To Watch In 2012." It's puzzling in hindsight to think how we could have missed the 326-pound, outspoken foundation of one of the country's best defensive fronts. Nix led a talented defensive line with 45 tackles in his second season as a regular on the Notre Dame defense. Assists on countless other stops went unnoticed on the stat sheet while Nix gobbled up offensive linemen to open opportunities for the players behind him. "Without him there are a lot of runs that wouldn't be stopped," sophomore defensive end Stephon Tuitt said. Some of those stops that materialized because of Nix include the goalline stands against Stanford in overtime and USC in the fourth quarter, without which Notre Dame wouldn't be the top scoring defense or the top team in the country.