We Are ND Nation Top 9 Notre Dame Players Since 2000: # 1 Linebacker Manti Te'o

There was never any debate.
Manti Te'o is the greatest Notre Dame football player of the 21st century.
When Te'o arrived in South Bend from Hawaii in 2009, expectations were sky-high. By the time he left four years later, he had become one of the most decorated defensive players in the history of college football and the face of Notre Dame's return to national prominence.
Te'o wasn't just an elite linebacker—he was the heartbeat of the Fighting Irish.
From 2010 through 2012, he led Notre Dame in tackles for three consecutive seasons, finishing his career with 437 total tackles, the third-most in school history, along with 8 interceptions, the most ever by a Notre Dame linebacker. His instincts, leadership, and ability to make game-changing plays made him one of the most feared defenders in the nation.
His legendary 2012 season cemented his place among the all-time greats.
As captain of an undefeated Notre Dame team that advanced to the BCS National Championship Game, Te'o recorded 113 tackles and seven interceptions, an astonishing total for a linebacker. He became the first linebacker in more than a decade to lead the nation in takeaways while anchoring one of the country's most dominant defenses.
The awards that followed were unprecedented.
Te'o became a Unanimous All-American and swept virtually every major defensive honor in college football, winning the:

• Butkus Award
• Bronko Nagurski Trophy
• Chuck Bednarik Award
• Lott IMPACT Trophy
• Lombardi Award
• Maxwell Award
• Walter Camp Player of the Year

To this day, he remains the only player in college football history to win all seven of those major awards in the same season.
Perhaps even more remarkable, Te'o finished second in the 2012 Heisman Trophy voting, becoming the first primarily defensive player in decades to seriously contend for college football's highest individual honor. His runner-up finish remains the highest ever by a defensive player under the modern voting format.
Why He's #1Notre Dame has produced Heisman Trophy winners, national champions, Hall of Famers, and NFL legends.
But no player since 2000 has meant more to the Fighting Irish than Manti Te'o.
He restored belief in the program.
He led by example.
He dominated every Saturday.
And he helped carry Notre Dame back to the national championship stage.
His résumé is unmatched. His leadership was unquestioned. His impact is still felt in South Bend today.
For those reasons, Manti Te'o is the No. 1 player on We Are ND Nation's Top 9 Notre Dame Players Since 2000.