Not Another Te'o Post

[Funkytown]

Oh…but it is.

In fear of it being drowned out in the other Te'o post, I decided to post a new one. And really, I want this to be addressed. I need comforting!

I have a few questions. And I’m asking you guys because a lot of you seem to be very into college football and the draft prospects.

Is Manti Te’o as good as you guys are pretending?

If drafted…is he going to be an instant impact player?

And most importantly…

Is he “loved” and talked about so much because of where he played rather than his actual play and individual ability?

The reason I ask is: I don’t want this guy. Admittedly, I don’t watch much college football. I watch my team (Nebraska) as much as I can, and occasionally I’ll watch Iowa or Minnesota. Sometimes I watch “big games”, but overall, I’m not big on college sports. With that being said, I did watch that *one game* that most Te’o supporters want to forget about, and I saw a lot of Te’o highlights. I wasn’t impressed.

Then all of the sudden the Catfish thing happened and everyone is obsessed with him. I understand that he had a lot of supporters before that, but he’s pretty much all you heard about for weeks. I started looking more into him because of this nonsense and because (like two lol) people on the Vikings.com Message Board mentioned possibly drafting him this April. I was even less impressed at this point. And I was told (what some of you guys say) “that one game (and the Catfish thing) doesn’t take away from all he has done in his college career.”

Fair enough.

But, I still don’t want this guy. As a matter of fact, I already know my phone is going to be blowing up with people picking on me about this pick if we get him. As I said previously, I’ll be attending the Vikings Draft Party. I must be the only one on here—or one of the very few—that is actually going. I decided that I don’t want to openly pout in front of everyone if we take him—since it’s a realistic possibility that we might—so I decided to yet again look up highlights for this guy. I just wanted to mentally prepare myself so to speak. Nope. Didn’t work. Still not impressed.

I watched how many of this guy’s “highlight videos”—ya know, his supposed “best of” stuff—and I’m still left wondering this: So what? Yeah? And…? That’s it…? What’s all the fuss about?

I do NOT understand what is “so special” about this guy. To me, it seems as if a lot of the Te’o talk is simply because he was on a good team, was a good role player, went to a big school, etc. rather than his individual abilities and talents. As much as this guy is talked about, I would expect him to be a SPECTACULAR football player—some amazing, talented beast of an athlete. I don’t see it. I see a role player. I feel like he is a tad bit overrated. Out of the couple videos of “highlights” that I saw, I was impressed with maybe a couple—and I do just mean two or three—plays from him as an individual. A lot of the things he did were expected. I would've been more surprised if he hadn’t made those plays than I was excited that he did. If he had missed on some of those “best of” plays—and he would have been on the Vikings—I would have been screaming at my TV! The point is: I don’t see it. I’m wondering what people DO see in this guy that “puts him above the rest”??!?! He has pretty stats and college awards? Fine. Tell me what he brings as an INDIVIDUAL to this football team, a lot of sexy fantasy fake girlfriends?!?! I'm gonna need more than that.

[Mothman]

Is Manti Te’o as good as you guys are pretending?

I'm not sure how to answer that question. Who are you referring to and what are they saying (or "pretending")? I don't know if he's good as whatever you feel you're seeing/hearing but as a college player, he was definitely good. He was a highly-recruited player coming into college and he exceeded expectations, playing smart, instinctive football and providing leadership on a team that ended up surpassing expectations.

If drafted…is he going to be an instant impact player?

There is absolutely no way to know but he has a chance to become an impact player. Even if he does, it may not happen immediately. He should be a solid player even as a rookie. However, like all rookies, I'd expect him to make some rookie mistakes.

And most importantly…

Is he “loved” and talked about so much because of where he played rather than his actual play and individual ability?

It's tough to say. For every Notre Dame lover out there, there's probably a "hater", if not 2. I think he was talked about so much because he was the key player on a team that unexpectedly went undefeated and made it into the national championship game. Notre Dame's success was keyed by their defense and Te'o was their defensive leader so when you put all of that together, where he played probably factored into the hype but that was partly because he was a key factor in that big name school's resurgence, which was a huge story.

The reason I ask is: I don’t want this guy. Admittedly, I don’t watch much college football. I watch my team (Nebraska) as much as I can, and occasionally I’ll watch Iowa or Minnesota. Sometimes I watch “big games”, but overall, I’m not big on college sports. With that being said, I did watch that *one game* that most Te’o supporters want to forget about, and I saw a lot of Te’o highlights. I wasn’t impressed.

Understandable. He wasn't impressive in that game.

But, I still don’t want this guy. As a matter of fact, I already know my phone is going to be blowing up with people picking on me about this pick if we get him. As I said previously, I’ll be attending the Vikings Draft Party. I must be the only one on here—or one of the very few—that is actually going. I decided that I don’t want to openly pout in front of everyone if we take him—since it’s a realistic possibility that we might—so I decided to yet again look up highlights for this guy. I just wanted to mentally prepare myself so to speak. Nope. Didn’t work. Still not impressed.

I watched how many of this guy’s “highlight videos”—ya know, his supposed “best of” stuff—and I’m still left wondering this: So what? Yeah? And…? That’s it…? What’s all the fuss about?

Have you watched highlight videos of the other MLBs in the draft? What are you looking for in the videos? What would impress you?

I do NOT understand what is “so special” about this guy. To me, it seems as if a lot of the Te’o talk is simply because he was on a good team, was a good role player, went to a big school, etc. rather than his individual abilities and talents.

He was more than a good role-player. As I said, he was the leader of their defense and he made a lot of big plays for them.

It sounds like you've already made up your mind and you certainly aren't alone in your views but if you want to know what Te'o would/should be able to bring to the Vikings, I'd suggest simply reading his draft profiles. They can certainly articulate his strengths and weaknesses better than most of us can. Here are a few links and a quote from Scott Wright's profile of Te'o:

http://www.nfl.com/draft/2013/profiles/ ... id=2539277

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1697293

http://www.draftcountdown.com/ScoutingR ... ti-Teo.php

Strengths:
• Good size with room on frame to bulk up further
• Fundamentally sound tackler and explosive hitter
• Stout in the box and can fill gaps against the run
• Aggressive with great range and flies to the action
• Strong and powerful to take on and shed blockers
• Nice balance and does good job of staying on feet
• Outstanding instincts and has a nose for the ball
• Able to read and react quickly with a burst to close
• Intelligent and is like an extra coach on the field
• Competitive, hard working and a respected leader
• Durable with a ton of high-quality experience
• Offers both schematic and positional versatility

Weaknesses:
• Isn't overly athletic with just average timed speed
• Can be too aggressive and over run tackles at times
• Struggles in space and can be exploited in coverage
• May be naive and has lived a relatively sheltered life
• Might initially create some off-the-field distractions

Injury History:
• Underwent knee surgery following 2010 season
• Minor knicks but never missed significant action

Notes:
A four-year starter for the Fighting Irish --- Became the most decorated college football player in history after winning the Dick Butkus Award (nation’s top linebacker), Bronko Nagurski Trophy (top defender), Walter Camp Award (player of the year), Lombardi Trophy (lineman or linebacker), Chuck Bednarik Award (top defender) and Maxwell Award (top player) while also finishing second in the Heisman Trophy voting as a senior --- Named 2nd Team All-American in 2011 and 1st Team in 2012 --- Was a very highly-regarded prep recruit who attended the same high school in Hawaii as President Barack Obama --- Was the victim of a highly-publicized and cruel hoax in which a disturbed fan pretended to be a woman named "Lennay Kekua", who Te'o developed a long-term relationship with via the phone and internet --- Became a Tim Tebow-esque source of fascination for the national media when the "Catfishing" scandal broke --- Was more of a thumper early in college career but shed weight prior to senior campaign and became considerably more effective in coverage and space --- Could project to either the middle or outside in a 4-3 or inside in a 3-4 --- Possesses elite intangibles and plays faster in pads than workout numbers would indicate --- May not be a Hall of Famer but the type of player and team leader you can plug into the starting lineup immediately and not have to worry about for a decade --- Not particularly flashy but just a good football player and is one of the safest prospects in the Class of 2013.

[Funkytown]

Have you watched highlight videos of the other MLBs in the draft? What are you looking for in the videos? What would impress you?

Admittedly, I haven't. I'm scared to now. If Te'o is top two, I'm scared to even look at the rest. As far as what would impress me, let me say what I DID like about Te'o. It seems as if he made a couple really good plays on the ball (the two or three plays I was actually impressed with), and he seems to be a crowd pleaser. I mean, he seems to get pumped up and wants to get the crowd into it. That's cool. That'll work QUITE well at the Dome! His ball skills, well, on those plays, he had really good concentration and made some really nice plays on the ball. Really nice. Some of those interceptions were RIGHT to him (not impressive at all) and some were really great catches. He gets props for those.

As far as what I didn't like--and thought from day one before everyone else realized he was slow after the combine--was he is freakin' slow. The FIRST time I saw this guy I thought "it looks like he's running in slow-mo out there!" I don't know. I feel like he's over-hyped because of where he played and not necessarily who he is or what skills he has. I feel like if he had similar stats at a smaller school, he wouldn't be discussed half as much. That's my concern. Is he really that good, or do people WANT him to be good because he played at Notre Dame?

As far as what WOULD impress me--someone fast, hungry, angry. lol. I guess when I think MLB, I think of big, beefy "I'm looking to take your head off" kind of guys. Also, someone who is fast enough to play the run and the pass. I can just see people BURNING right by this guy in my head. He might end up being a solid NFL player, and he might not, but I still think he is overrated. I can't blame him for that though, can I?

I don't want him; however, I will support him if he's on the team. That's just how I roll. I'll pout for a few, but you'll see me cheering for him on Sundays. As I said previously, I don't think there is a guy coming out of the draft who is going to be working harder than this guy. That is his MAJOR plus.

[Mothman]

Admittedly, I haven't. I'm scared to now. If Te'o is top two, I'm scared to even look at the rest. As far as what would impress me, let me say what I DID like about Te'o. It seems as if he made a couple really good plays on the ball (the two or three plays I was actually impressed with), and he seems to be a crowd pleaser. I mean, he seems to get pumped up and wants to get the crowd into it. That's cool. That'll work QUITE well at the Dome! His ball skills, well, on those plays, he had really good concentration and made some really nice plays on the ball. Really nice. Some of those interceptions were RIGHT to him (not impressive at all) and some were really great catches. He gets props for those.

As far as what I didn't like--and thought from day one before everyone else realized he was slow after the combine--was he is freakin' slow. The FIRST time I saw this guy I thought "it's looking like he's running in slow-mo out there!" I don't know. I feel like he's over-hyped because of where he played and not necessarily who he is or what skills he has. I feel like if he had similar stats at a smaller school, he wouldn't be discussed half as much. That's my concern. Is he really that good, or do people WANT him to be good because he played at Notre Dame?

I don't particularly like or dislike Notre Dame so I have no stake in where he played. I think he's good and I don't see him as particularly slow but everybody perceives things differently. What impresses me most about his game are are his diagnostic skills, closing speed and ability finish. He reads and reacts extremely well and he also anticipates plays. Instincts like that are hard to teach. I also like his knack for coming up with big plays and big stops when needed.

I don't want him; however, I will support him if he's on the team. That's just how I roll. I'll pout for a few, but you'll see me cheering for him on Sundays. As I said previously, I don't think there is a guy coming out of the draft who is going to be working harder than this guy. That is his MAJOR plus.

That... and don't underestimate his ability to inspire teammates. If he can bring that to the pros, it will make a difference and it's not a quality every LB has to offer.

I understand your doubts and I'm not going to try to convince you to like the guy. I have some doubts about him too, even though I've gradually come to the conclusion that I want the Vikes to draft him. Suffice to say that I don't think he's all hype. He earned a lot of the attention he received by being a good football player. The Vikes obviously need an MLB and I think he may the best one this draft has to offer. Other fans around here have other preferences but like you, I'll support whoever they draft and hope that player ends up being a star for the Vikes.

[Funkytown]

As far as him being a "leader" and being able to "inspire"--I don't really see that either. I just don't think he has the personality for it. For the fans? Sure. The players? Eh. I also don't believe he is all that intelligent or mentally tough--for obvious reasons. To be a leader of all of those beefcakes in the locker room, I think you have to have a stronger self-image than what Te'o does--especially after that Catfish drama. To me, he seems soft, shy, quiet, etc. A tad bit feminine? Not that there's anything wrong with that. lol. I just think to be a "leader" of an NFL defense--he should be more aggressive. He seems kinda sweet, though. Not "sweet" like that. I just mean he seems like a real nice guy. He's obviously extremely naive and gullable. He's just something else. Period. But, as I said, I'll support him. I'm a huge fan of the show "Catfish" and I'll be a fan of our own real-life victim of it. If he does get drafted by us, I can't wait to be able to start talking about his play rather than his personality and drama! Come on NFL Draft! Let's do this!

[mondry]

For me, it comes down to this. Is Te'o a good football player? And the answer to me, has to be "absolutely." Now is he a Patrick Willis like prospect? I don't think so, but Patrick Willis, or the total package comes around once a decade it seems like.

I see Te'o as a boarder line probowler year in and year out. Think about Chad Greenway as I think they're kind of similar. Greenway is consistently decent and does his job but you wouldn't consider him like an all star or anything. He's not fast either but good instincts and technique can make up for that, you don't have to go as far if you're already in a good position to make a play!

[Funkytown]

For me, it comes down to this. Is Te'o a good football player? And the answer to me, has to be "absolutely." Now is he a Patrick Willis like prospect? I don't think so, but Patrick Willis, or the total package comes around once a decade it seems like.

I see Te'o as a boarder line probowler year in and year out. Think about Chad Greenway as I think they're kind of similar. Greenway is consistently decent and does his job but you wouldn't consider him like an all star or anything. He's not fast either but good instincts and technique can make up for that, you don't have to go as far if you're already in a good position to make a play!

If he is as good as Greenway, I suppose I could tolerate him.

His good instincts had him believing a GUY was his sexy girlfriend for 2 freaking years. Don't talk to me about instincts. He sees things that aren't there. He hears a sexy woman's voice when it is a big, burly man on the other end. Need I continue? lol.

Alright, the guy is good at football, but sucks at life? lol

I'm only kidding. As I said, he seems like a nice guy. He just makes it too easy to make fun of him. I just think a lot of NFL locker rooms would eat him alive. Guys have already come out and said "our team would kill him." I don't know. I don't see the extra teasing and taunting from his teammates doing him any good. I kind of feel bad for him. Maybe he should come to the Vikes, I don't see our guys as being real a-holes, but ya never know!

[Mothman]

As far as him being a "leader" and being able to "inspire"--I don't really see that either.

Maybe not but that's something that's not really in dispute. He was, unquestionably, the leader of the Notre Dame defense.

For me, it comes down to this. Is Te'o a good football player? And the answer to me, has to be "absolutely." Now is he a Patrick Willis like prospect? I don't think so, but Patrick Willis, or the total package comes around once a decade it seems like.

I see Te'o as a boarder line probowler year in and year out. Think about Chad Greenway as I think they're kind of similar. Greenway is consistently decent and does his job but you wouldn't consider him like an all star or anything. He's not fast either but good instincts and technique can make up for that, you don't have to go as far if you're already in a good position to make a play!

Well said!

[Mothman]

His good instincts had him believing a GUY was his sexy girlfriend for 2 freaking years. Don't talk to me about instincts.

We're talking about football instincts.

[Funkytown]

Maybe not but that's something that's not really in dispute. He was, unquestionably, the leader of the Notre Dame defense.

That may be true, but being a leader among a bunch of same-age college students is a lot different than stepping foot in an NFL locker room and becoming a leader there, among grown men with big egos. Time will tell!

[Funkytown]

We're talking about football instincts.

Point being: If you can't tell the difference between a man and a woman after two years, don't pretend to know much of anything. That is foolish. Especially, don't list instincts and intelligence as some of your attributes. Yeesh. C'mon maaaaaaan.

[Mothman]

That may be true, but being a leader among a bunch of same-age college students is a lot different than stepping foot in an NFL locker room and becoming a leader there, among grown men with big egos. Time will tell!

That's true, but you never know if any college player will be able to translate his strengths to the pro game until he's in the pros. All you can do is look at the qualities they've shown thus far.

[Funkytown]

That's true, but you never know if any college player will be able to translate his strengths to the pro game until he's in the pros. All you can do is look at the qualities they've shown thus far.

True. And here is my issue: Most people refer to him as being a "good football player." Awesome, but when it comes to all the hype he's getting, I'd expect him to be a "great football player." More importantly, a "great player" in college has a better chance of being a "good player" in the NFL. Get it? I want "great college players" with our first-round picks because they have a better chance of translating into good or great players in the NFL. Let's save the "good players" for after the first round. After the combine, some of the experts slowly started backing away from him. Some of the hype went away. Glad they are more realistic now, but that is a bit bothersome.

[Mothman]

True. And here is my issue: Most people refer to him as being a "good football player." Awesome, but when it comes to all the hype he's getting, I'd expect him to be a "great football player."

In college, he was a great football player. That's why he received the awards, accolades and hype in the first place.

More importantly, a "great player" in college has a better chance of being a "good player" in the NFL. Get it? I want "great college players" with our first-round picks because they have a better chance of translating into good or great players in the NFL. Let's save the "good players" for after the first round. After the combine, some of the experts slowly started backing away from him. Some of the hype went away. Glad they are more realistic now, but that is a bit bothersome.

That happens a lot with well-known or heavily-hyped players. They get scrutinized and analyzed to death in the months leading up to the draft and their flaws get magnified. A similar dynamic occurs with with players that have great athletic attributes but who weren't necessarily great players. people start worrying about 1/10 of a second differences in 40 times, weight room reps, etc. and forget that performances are what really count most.

It will all come out in the wash, as the saying goes...

[Funkytown]

If that is what "great" looks like, that is why I don't watch college ball. lol.

I watched his combine stuff live. I watched the whole thing. People referred to him as "good" from what I remember. Like I said, they were doing a lot of backtracking. They seemed "eh" after that. Kind of deflated I'll say. Oh well. I don't have to like him unless he's a Viking--and I won't until then.