Manti Te'o returns to Notre Dame
Another return to campus for former Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o was celebrated prior to Saturday's Notre Dame-Cal game.
Te'o delivered a speech during the team's Victory March from the Basilica of the Sacred Heart to Notre Dame Stadium. Te'o also spoke to reporters in the press box prior to the game.
Below are tweets from his speech and a full transcript of Te'o's conversation with Notre Dame beat writers.
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Transcript
Editor's Note: Questions are paraphrased. Answers are not.
How are your parents doing?
Te'o: "Great. So yeah, they want to come out. They miss their little brothers.
Is your little brother player football?
Te'o: "Yeah. He’s a junior at Westlake (in Saratoga Springs, Utah)."
So it sounds like you're busy since you got back?
Te'o: "Oh, we're busy, brother. It's been good. It's been good though. It's been good.
How many times have you been back?
Te'o: "Fourth time, yeah."
Who do you touch base with?
Te'o: "Yeah, I always go to The Gug (Gulielmino Athletics Complex), and I’m familiar with everybody there. I try to go to the South Dining Hall to see if the chefs are still there. Game Day is always the day where I get to see familiar faces. With the ushers and Uncle Tim, the police officers, everybody. The whole family, I try to make sure that I touch base and you know, say hi and then also see the changes."
Three Butkus winners in 10 years starting with you. Does it feel like it’s a new standard that started with you?
Te'o: "I think the new standard is just being the best. I want to I want a Bednarik Award winner I also want Heisman winner. I want a Walter Camp winner. I want a Nagurski winner. I want everybody to be at the top of their game, because if we're all at the top of the game, it gives us the best opportunity to get the main prize. I don't really preach specific excellence. I want excellence overall for everybody. Because if everybody's on the P's and Q's, we're gonna win the big one."
I think all of us were a little surprised to find out you're doing media. Why did you make time for that?
Te'o: "Because I owe Notre Dame, everything. I owe everything, everything. I was asked the question yesterday. What is the best decision I ever made? And I said there's two, there's two of them. One to marry my wife, because she's the anchor of my life, and she's given me a daughter and a son on the way and the second was to come to this school.
“So I owe this school everything, including you. You’re all my friends."
How much interaction have you had with Marcus Freeman since he became head coach? Could you describe it?
Te'o: "Well, right. When he got hired, I sent him a text and I told him, man, I'm so happy for him. Congratulations. All my conversations we've been with that I've had with him I met him in person yesterday. It's just been nothing but the best. I keep saying he reminds me of coach (Bob) Diaco to me. Just somebody that you will literally do anything for. And I think that as the as a head coach is the most important thing that you could establish with your players is like, ‘Listen, I will do anything for you. And that's what kind of led to all of our success in 2012 on the defensive side of the ball, is because all of us guys on the field would do anything for coach Diaco, coach (Mike) Elston, coach (Kerry) Cooks, coach (Bob) Elliott and now they have it as the head man so what a great great blessing opportunity."
Did you give him a little pep talk after the 0-3 start?
Te'o: "A little bit. A little bit."
What has the feedback been from the documentary and did it surprise you at all?
Te'o: "It surprised me. You know, honestly, I was a little bit anxious about it. And I was like, Man, that was one of the things I was like, I don't want to talk about it again. And then you remind people and not only remind people, but then people who don't know, like I don't know how they're gonna, you know, receive it, but all the facts are out there. And I'm happy with it, because it's factual and let's see how it does. And since day one, it's been nothing more positive."
You said during your speech that it’s great to be home. Does home feel different post-documentary?
Te'o: “No, I think the only thing that makes it feel different is there's a lot of buildings that weren't here when I was here. DP (Dave Peloquin) picked me up from the airport and driving, I was like, ‘Bro, I would get lost.’ There's just so many new things. But as far as the feel, it's always the same. Home is always going to be home. On a good day, bad day, when you go home, that's your sanctuary. And that’s what Notre Dame is for me.”
When was the last time you talked to the Notre Dame players as a team before yesterday?
Te'o: “I think a few times over the past 10 years, yeah, I've spoken to them. But I've always stayed in connection with a few guys normally that I knew. Obviously Marist (Liufau) is on the team. The Korean Assassin (Jordan Botelho) is on a team.
How about Junior Tuihalamaka?
Te'o: “I actually spoke to Junior when he was being recruited and spoke to him that way. Just help them out.”
How good does it feel to be in front of the whole group and try to send your intensity into them?
Te'o: “It's like my little brothers. We all have little siblings, I hope. If you don't, that's how it was for me. When I talked to them yesterday, I was like, ‘Listen, I understand where you guys are at.’ That's the power about where I was at. I've sat in those seats. I've literally done what you're doing. I'm that guy, that little brother. I know you guys can't see the forest from the trees, but I’m that older brother that's hovering in the helicopter over you helping you navigate your way. Just trust me. I can help you. All the boys, they had their notepads out. They were writing notes. I was like, ‘Man, that meant a lot to me.’ That they were like, ‘OK, he has something to say that I need to hear.’”
How long did you talk to them?
Te'o: “5-10 minutes, around there.”
What's it like not playing football anymore for you?
Te'o: “The greatest thing for me was obviously my wife and my kids. That's the greatest joy for me. I miss the game, I will say that. I miss playing the game. I miss the chess match that football is. At least it was for me. Trying to figure out what the offense is going to do before the ball snaps. I miss the plane rides. I miss the conversation with guys in the locker room. I miss all of that. That's the thing that every player will say when they step away from the game. Do we miss the game of football? Yes. But we miss the relationships. That's what I miss the most. But I have the greatest joy in my life with my kids.”
What was your message to an 0-2 team facing adversity today?
Te'o: “Man, that's life. That's the greatest thing about football, it's the greatest parallel to life. It's not going to start off the way that you wanted it to. Keep going. Life's not always going to be the way you want it to be. Keep going. You can't do anything about 0-2, but you can do something today. That's all it is.”
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