Te'von Coney Making The Most Of His Redemption At Notre Dame
It has been a season of redemption collectively so far for the Notre Dame football team, and likewise individually for junior Buck linebacker Te’von Coney.
The 2016 football season began inauspiciously back then for the sophomore Coney when, after the final day of training camp, he and four teammates were arrested in Fulton County, Ind., on misdemeanor counts of possession of marijuana. One was dismissed from school (safety Max Redfield) for also possessing a hand gun, and another, defensive back Ashton White, left the team.
Back in the fold are Coney and classmates Kevin Stepherson and Dexter Williams at receiver and running back, respectively.
Williams has been hobbled by an ankle injury, Stepherson making his presence felt after also being unofficially suspended by the school for the first four games this year, while Coney’s impact was highlighted by earning the nation’s Bednarik Player of the Week Award for his game high 11 tackles (including two-and-a-half on special teams, featuring a thunderous hit near the sideline), two for loss, and a sack, forced fumble and recovery on USC’s first play from scrimmage that set up Notre Dame’s opening touchdown in the 49-14 rout.
“He played his butt off,” Irish head coach Brian Kelly praised. “It was his best performance at Notre Dame.”
The output now makes Coney the top tackler on the team (53), although in the first half of the season he was in somewhat of a 3-for-2 rotation on the inside with senior captains Nyles Morgan and Greer Martini, who was sidelined last week while recovering from a knee procedure but is expected back this weekend. Entering the USC game, Coney — who also has seen snaps at Mike linebacker — had 231 snaps to Martini’s 228.
Above all, Coney feels gratitude about Notre Dame’s support system and not squandering an opportunity, first by owning his misstep and then following through with his actions.
“I embarrassed the University, I embarrassed my family and myself as well,” said Coney this Thursday in his initial meeting with the media. “I’ve been able to get over it and kind of follow the traits and process that Coach talks about a lot that can help you become a better person, a better football player, a better student. Doing that, I’ve seen improvement in my life on and off the field. Just following that process and following the traits has definitely made me a better man.
“I’m just grateful to be here, it’s a privilege to get an opportunity to be here to be able to follow the traits, be able to follow the process to do great things I’m doing right now …I had to first recognize that I did make a mistake and ready to accept the consequences.
“After I did that, I was able to put it behind me and promise myself, promise my University, promise my family that I will continue to do the right things, stay on the right path.”
The four-star native from Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., is here in part because former Irish running back and West Palm Beach native Greg Bryant told him the school would help him grow beyond football. Tragically, Bryant was gunned down near his hometown on May 8, 2016 after transferring from Notre Dame, a painful lesson and reminder that remains with Coney to deal with and handle the challenging days on and off the field.
“It shows how much this University does for you as a person and just in life in general, keeping you on the right path to see and to do the right things,” he said. “Having the support staff behind you … you have everything you need.”
Coney is not only thriving under the new defense headed by coordinator Mike Elko and aided by linebackers coach Clark Lea, but his voice and unbridled enthusiasm for the game also have been rubbing off on teammates.
“He brings a sense of intensity and passion to the game that you don't see a lot of times,” said senior rover/captain Drue Tranquill. “He's a dynamic playmaker for us. He lives in the backfield, it seems like, and is making plays all across the field for us. “But he's just a spark that gets guys going and brings guys together. And so when you feel his energy and his passion, it's contagious, and it makes you want to play harder.
“I think he's just realizing how important this is to him and how many guys are affected by the decisions we make on and off the field. And so it's one of our traits of excellence, being smart … He's one of those guys who has taken it to heart and continues to develop himself as a young man on and off the football field. I'm really proud of him. He's a great teammate of ours.”
“Energy and passion are always great when you’re playing football,” Coney said. “I want to be that hype man that keeps the guys going, just keep that energy on the sidelines. That’s very important for us to do that throughout the game.”
As a 2016 sophomore, linebacker in 2016, Coney started nine games and finished fourth in tackles with 62, but he was often confused and felt out of kilter during a 4-8 campaign. This season has been a complete transformation under the leadership of Elko and Lea.
“Generally, if you’re getting pushed off the ball, it’s because linebackers are allowing double teams to occur,” Kelly said. “Our backers are attacking the line of scrimmage and getting those double teams to disengage. Now it’s single blocks because our linebackers are really attacking.
“Clark Lea has done a great job of teaching how to be part of that front and fit. Te’von has done a great job of trusting his teaching.”
An example was the opening play versus USC.
“I was going to go to my fit like usual and he fumbled the ball,” Coney said of USC quarterback Sam Darnold. “All week Coach told us how he didn’t hold the ball as tight, so if you get the chance to yank it to yank at it. I had the opportunity and did it, and came up with it.”
The trust has come easier to Coney with the new staff and system.
“I feel like it gives players a chance to do what they can do — not too much thinking, just go out there and play hard, play tough,” Coney said. “Coach puts you in the right position to do what you need to do and won’t put you in bad positions. It makes it easier to make plays because they put you in the right spot, tell you where it’s going to happen… you just need to play.”
That he is, especially with the inspiration of knowing how he could have derailed his career.
“He is one in a long line of young men that have made mistakes, and have been held accountable, have from that point on grown from the mistake that he made,” Kelly said. “He's grown off the field, the decisions that he makes on a day-to-day basis, and now he's growing as a football player.
“We were more interested in the growth of Te'von Coney off the field, and the football's starting to catch up, so we're good with that.”
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