Had it not been for a disastrous finale for the career of Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o, he would've entered the 2013 NFL Draft after a nearly perfect season that nearly netted him the Heisman Trophy. Instead, he is a player many have suggested should be avoided in the first round due to his poor play in the BCS National Championship, a trend that Te'o doesn't think is justified.
NFL Draft 2013: Manti Te’o frustrated by shadow of Alabama performance
The Notre Dame linebacker finished his senior season with seven interceptions, but much of that was forgotten following a 42-14 loss to Alabama.
Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Te'o spoke with Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com about the criticisms of his game against the Alabama Crimson Tide that he perceives as unfair:
“It’s a little frustrating that people look at one game and say that was the closest thing to an NFL team that I had faced, not giving credit to all the other teams that I played,” he told detroitlions.com. “So you’re saying Stanford isn’t an NFL team; Michigan State, Michigan, Purdue and USC.
Before his season finale and a bizarre, fake girlfriend situation that stole headlines everywhere, Te’o was considered by many media members to be the top linebacker in the Draft class and a potential top 10 selection. Opinions of him have since dropped, but whether or not they did in the eyes of NFL talent evaluators as well is the question.
In his senior season, Te’o finished with seven interceptions and 113 tackles.
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