Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw said her team had it coming to them. “I thought we’ve been building up to this game now for a couple of weeks,” she said. “We just haven’t played well for a long time.SOUTH BEND – Notre Dame’s Manti Te’o says he likes having a demanding coach.
And the linebacker, who joined the Irish as the No. 1 defensive prospect out of high school last year, certainly has that in new coach Brian Kelly.
From the fast-paced practices to Kelly not being shy about publicly stating what his players need to do to improve, Te’o and the rest of the Irish have been pushed hard since spring practice began March 26.
“I think that is always great for somebody to be a motivator to always try to motivate you to improve and not be complacent,” Te’o said. “Once you are complacent, you are going to fail. I’m glad that there are coaches who demand more from me and more from the team to be the best that we can be. That’s what is going to make us a championship-caliber team.”
Kelly has been complimentary and harshly critical when talking about Te’o.
He said the 6-foot-2, 250-pound native of Laie, Hawaii, stepped up as a leader and was one of the first to buy into the new coaching staff’s philosophy.
But the Irish coach also said Te’o wasn’t very good last season and needs to become a much better player.
“He was a true freshman,” Kelly said. “He was the best guy that they (the staff under former coach Charlie Weis) had. He was 240, 250 (pounds), they wanted to be a little bit stronger. He was guessing, which is to be expected. He’s learning how to play the game and how he fits in this defense.”
Te’o proved to be a quick study as a freshman, even with the inconsistent play.
His 63 tackles as a freshman rank behind only All-Americans Bob Golic’s 82 in 1975 and Ross Browner’s 68 in 1973 for a freshman at Notre Dame. And Te’o permanently replaced senior Toryan Smith in the starting lineup in the fifth game of the season, a 37-30 overtime win over Washington on Oct. 3.
Te’o, who also had a sack and 5 1/2 tackles for a loss, said he was hesitant last year and was still getting comfortable playing in college.
“Last year, I was just not confident,” Te’o said. “One of the things I said I was going to improve this year is my confidence. Just trust my instincts. Most of the time, I second guess my instincts, and that’s what gets me into trouble. I just have to trust my instincts and tell my legs to move when my instincts tell me to move.”
The Irish are adjusting to a new defense, switching from a 4-3 to a 3-4 scheme, and Te’o is taking on added responsibilities calling signals as an inside linebacker.
It is a workload Te’o can handle because of his approach to the game.
“I love the energy that he brings, and the passion that he wants to be a great player,” Kelly said. “If you write the prescription for a coach, who do you want to coach? Get a guy like that.”
