Teo's athletic testing confirms that he's the linebacker that you saw in the Alabama game when he's faced with the type of talent he's going to see in the NFL every week. Fact is, there's not much demand in the NFL for slow witted, slow footed linebackers who don't tackle well and are without great instincts.
The NC game defines Te'o as lacking fortitude, intense mental composure, and competence in tackling against the best team by far they faced all year. According to Te'o he was aware the girlfriend situation was a hoax, but didn't have the mental capacity to focus purely on the game at hand. He uses it as an excuse which is a failing admission for a kid that hopes to be drafted in the 1st round.
If he thought Bama was tough, wait until he enters an NFL locker room where he will be teased mercilessly. He'll find out not only does the NFL have the best athletes, but they also have some of the best trash talkers. A weak mental resolve could surely crack under the pressure. I don't have anything against Te'o although I do believe he received awards under false pretenses which should've gone to athletes who were clearly superior to him.
His "career" really wasn't much until his grandmother and girlfriend died, and gained publicity because of the stories. The reality is that if Pitt just makes that point, or the refs don't incorrectly rule that Stepfan Taylor didn't break the plane.... Teo doesn't finish high in the Heisman Trophy balloting and none of what happened against Bama even transpires.
I think he's a 3rd/4th round linebacker that's been coddled by Notre Dame, and would be viewed more accurately as to what he really is if he played anywhere else. There's no question that he's the best player to come out of South Bend since Brady Quinn.
The smartest thing Te'o did was to turn down his appearance at the NFL Draft.
