Nagurski Award: Manti Te'o named top defensive player



The Nagurski Award was given to Notre Dame's Mani T'eo as recognition for the nation's best defensive player. (AP Photo)

Not a bad day at all.






"It takes time to move from not being part of the national championship discussion for over 20 years to be right at the point of being able to be a national champion," Kelly said. "You need somebody that can galvanize the team and somebody to get them to believe that they can do it. His actions, the way he played and the way he led did incredible things for our football program."


"It's something that you dream of when you're a little kid," Te'o said. "You never think it could happen, then it finally hits you in the face and it's a dream come true."

When asked what he'd rather win — a national championship or the Nagurski Award — Te'o smiled and laughed as if it's the easiest question he's ever answered.

"Hey, all these awards are great, but football is a team sport," he said. "If you ask people who the Butkus Award or the Bednarik Award winners are, or even the Heisman Trophy winner some years, they probably don't remember them. But they remember who won the national championship. They remember that. That's the trophy everybody wants."



"It can be good or bad, depending on the player and team," Te'o said. "It depends on how badly you want it. You can approach those 45 days as a pro. But if you just want to be in the national championship game and that's enough, you're obviously in trouble. Alabama has obviously been there a lot recently. You've got to act like you've been there, even if we haven't."


"He's a great student and he's really been a role model for everybody in our program," Kelly said. "When you put all of those things together he's more than just a football player and I'm blessed that I had an opportunity to coach him."

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