Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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Top Stories Of 2012-13 The 10 moments and milestones we'll remember most from the past year T By Dan Murphy he doors are officially opening on a new year at Notre Dame, but before we jump, in here's one more look back at the stories that have stuck with us from an eventful year in the rear view mirror. 1. The Manti Te'o Saga On the night of Dec. 6, Irish linebacker Manti Te'o returned to his Florida hotel room after another long night of accepting trophies. He had just claimed the Walter Camp, Chuck Bednarik and Maxwell Awards on ESPN hours earlier. He was looking forward to catching up on sleep when he got a phone call from a woman who had supposedly died months earlier. The confusion Te'o felt must not have been all that different from the confusion that set in for followers of college football a month later when Deadspin.com reported Lenay Kekua, Te'o's deceased girlfriend, never existed. That story suggested the linebacker may have helped to create or at least perpetuate the lies that were helping to build his legend and turn him into a Heisman Trophy finalist. The weeks of tabloid coverage — which exhausted every angle from the hoax's effect on Te'o's play in the BCS National Championship Game to his sexuality — at least temporarily overshadowed the unprecedented season he had for the Notre Dame defense. The All-American's 113 tackles and seven interceptions, combined with clutch play throughout the season, built a legacy as an unforgettable player in South Bend. The bizarre postfootball headlines made a final chapter as memorable as it was strange. Notre Dame didn't waver in its support for the superstar it helped promote. Athletics director Jack Swarbrick called Te'o a victim and a "perfect mark" because of his trusting character. Head coach Brian Kelly said Te'o's play on the field will leave a longer lasting impression. "I think Manti will be remembered as a great leader on our football team — on an undefeated team at Notre Dame," Kelly said. "He'll be, in my eyes, one of the very great teammates