Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com NOV. 12, 2018 17 BY TODD D. BURLAGE N otre Dame senior Te'von Coney can hardly believe that it has already been almost two and a half years since losing the close friend and cherished mentor who to- day's Irish star linebacker leaned on so much upon arriving on campus as an early enrollee freshman in 2015. From their time growing up in ad- jacent south Florida cities, to han- dling the culture shock of moving to northern Indiana, to balancing the difficulties of college-level academics and athletics, Coney and his fallen teammate, Greg Bryant, shared much in common in the eight months they spent together at Notre Dame during the spring and summer of that year. Bryant, an Irish running back in 2013-14, was beginning his spring semester as a sophomore in January 2015 at the same time Coney arrived for his first taste of college life. "Greg could relate to the struggles that I was facing, as far as coming in here far away from home, be- ing in the cold, the hard academics," Co- ney recalled of being a homesick and over- whelmed freshman. "He had been through the things that I was struggling with, so having him nearby was awesome." Their time together at Notre Dame was brief, but impactful for Coney. By August 2015, Bryant was ruled academically ineligible, left school and moved back home. Nine months after that, Bryant was dead from multiple gunshot wounds suffered during an ambush attack in West Palm Beach, Fla., while behind the wheel of his father's car. A second passenger in the vehicle was injured but survived. Bryant wasn't as fortunate. To this day, no ar- rests have been made in the shooting. "Greg crosses my mind all the time," Coney said in reverence. "He was a guy that was always there for me whenever I called, or if I just wanted to go hang out with him to escape and refresh my mind. That is something I will never forget." For Coney, his mentor may be gone but the message and lessons left behind are not, even if Bryant's cautionary tale is one of "do as a say, not as I do." "[Bryant] saw my potential the first day I stepped on campus," said Coney, who still wears a hoodie sweatshirt around campus with Bryant's likeness on it. "He knew what I could become and always pushed me to get there." What Coney has become is one of the best linebackers in the country and living proof that overcoming mis- takes and challenges is how character is best molded. After recording 308 tackles as a junior and senior at Palm Beach Gardens High School and be- coming an All-American prep line- backer there, Coney's first 21 months at Notre Dame didn't stay on script. Coney played sparingly as a fresh- man, recording 13 tackles — with only four coming in his final six games — before a shoulder injury against Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl sidelined him for the entire spring. Four months later, Coney was one of five Irish players arrested for pos- session of marijuana during a traffic stop on a rural highway in Fulton County about 50 miles from campus. Of the five players arrested, only Co- ney and senior Irish running back Dexter Williams worked through their legal issues and still remain with the Notre Dame football program. "After making a mistake, you kind of put everything in perspective, just find out what I really wanted to be and what I wanted to be in life," said Coney, who agreed in a plea deal to a one-year probation sentence. "Ever since then, everything has been awesome for me." Coney not only survived the tough times, but also thrived. He graduated in May of this year, a semester early, with a degree in philosophy and a minor in business economics. And while Coney doesn't wear a captain's "C" on his chest, he has certainly grown into a strong and dependable team leader. "I'm proud of his development," Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly said. "A lot of credit goes to him in making good choices along the way here the last few years. He's sur- rounded by really good people in a great environment to allow those choices to be reinforced." On the field, Coney enjoyed his coming out party as a junior last sea- son, leading the Irish defense in sev- eral categories, including 116 total stops and 13.5 tackles for loss. And in a 21-17 win to cap last season in the Citrus Bowl against LSU, Coney finished with a game- and a career- high 17 tackles. With his NFL Draft stock trending upward, Coney still made the tough decision to return to Notre Dame this year for one final go around. He's making good and staying on track to again lead Notre Dame in several de- fensive categories, i n c l u d i n g t a c k l e s with 70 through eight games, and perhaps into its first College Football Playoff ap- pearance — a couple of parting gifts before chasing his lifelong NFL dream. "He wants to leave an imprint here," explained Irish defensive coor- dinator and linebackers coach Clark Lea, who kept his faith in Coney through the uncertain times. "It hasn't been perfect for him at Notre Dame. "We all see opportunities to re- define ourselves. I've really been impressed." As is everybody else. While so many Irish players get swallowed up by the demands of this university and often leave — es- pecially the recruits from far away Florida — Coney stayed the course, in no small part as to not disappoint his lost soulmate. "I always remember when [Bry- ant] told me that one day I would be at this point in my career and not to stop or be satisfied when I got there, so I keep working hard, remembering his words," Coney said. "The journey has never been easy, but I wouldn't ask for it to be any different. "The man I am today, it's because I have learned through mistakes." ✦ DIFFICULT JOURNEY A tragic loss is driving big gains for Te'von Coney Through eight games, Coney was Notre Dame's leading tackler with 70 stops (6.5 for loss). PHOTO BY BILL PANZICA