Manti Te’o recently revealed that his Notre Dame team was flat out intimidated by the Alabama Crimson Tide before the two teams even stepped on the field for the BCS Championship in January 2013.
For those who need a refresher, Eddie Lacy, AJ McCarron, and the then-No. 2 Crimson Tide dominated top-ranked Notre Dame 42-14 to claim the BCS championship, securing their second consecutive national title and third in four years.
According to Te’o, who is now part of the NFL Network’s revamped “Good Morning Football” lineup, the game was essentially over before it began. He recounted how Notre Dame, as the designated home team, entered the tunnel first but had to wait while the “visiting team” Alabama made their entrance, a moment that seemed to set the tone for the game.
As one of the captains, Te’o was leading the charge, and Notre Dame was loud and energized.
He recalls vividly, “Alabama’s locker room door opens, and they start running out. I remember DJ Fluker and Chance Warmack sprinting out with their jerseys lifted, showing off their physiques, and holding up ‘4s’ with their fingers. DJ was saying, ‘Womp, womp.’
“I clearly remember the silence behind me, and when I glanced at my teammates, their eyes said it all. They were intimidated by the sheer size of Alabama’s players. At that moment, I knew, ‘Alright, this is going to be a long day.’”
Lacy, named the game’s offensive MVP, scored one touchdown rushing and caught another pass for a touchdown in the final minute of the first half, helping Alabama build a 28-0 lead. He ended the game with 140 yards on 20 carries.
McCarron threw for 264 yards and four touchdowns, completing 20 of 28 passes.
“To my guys’ credit, they never flinched,” Te’o said. “But when we faced that Alabama team in 2013, it was clear there was a significant difference with those Bama players.”
It was rough ending to Te’o’s college career, which will always be remembered for the linebacker being catfished. It was revealed Te’o got duped into a relationship with who he thought was a woman named “Lennay Kekua.” Kekua, of course, turned out to be a Te’o family acquaintance – Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, and when it all got revealed to the public, the former linebacker called it “painful and humiliating.”
He made light of the drama, which you can see below.