Nov. 17, 2012; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Manti Te'o (5) leaves the field after Notre Dame defeated the Wake Forest Demon Deacons 38-0 at Notre Dame Stadium. Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Notre Dame Legend Celebrates USC Win in Unforgettable Style

Originally posted on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI
By Nick Shepkowski | Last updated Oct 21, 2025 8:54 PM ET

Few players in the extensive history of Notre Dame football have been as beloved or as talented as former linebacker Manti Te'o. The Hawai'i native chose Notre Dame over USC as one of the nation's top recruits in the 2009 cycle, and played a major role in changing Fighting Irish football ever since.

Te'o of course helped lead Notre Dame to an undefeated regular season in 2012 and finished second in Heisman Trophy voting as well. The All-American linebacker then played eight years in the NFL before hanging up his shoulder pads for good.

Just because he's not playing football anymore doesn't mean what happens on Saturdays in South Bend gets ignored by the Irish legend.

Manti Te'o Celebrates Notre Dame's Win Over USC in Grand Fashion

After Notre Dame delivered the knockout blow late Saturday to hand USC another loss, Te'o took to the streets to celebrate the victory.

Check out Te'o letting his neighbors know how the game finished below.

How can you not love Manti Te’o?!

A true Notre Dame man. pic.twitter.com/BBID9tYes9
— Notre Dame Recruiting (@NDrecruiting01) October 21, 2025

There are few things as satisfying as being a sports fan when you're outnumbered by the competition but get bragging rights. That crowd pop when your team pulls off a huge play or a surprising win in a road game from the small but vocal group of fans is tough to top.

Te'o not being in the stadium is fine as he's literally carrying the colors out west. It's a moment that makes the legendary Notre Dame linebacker seem a lot more like an average Joe than one would expect.

Flashback: Te'o Stuns and Chooses Notre Dame Over USC

Manti Te'o was one of the crown jewels nationally in the 2009 recruiting cycle and it came down to Notre Dame, USC, and UCLA. USC was a powerhouse at the time, still being coached by Pete Carroll. Notre Dame had just finished a 7-6 season the year before and the sailing appeared to be anything but smooth going forward under Charlie Weis.

Despite that, and despite visiting Notre Dame on a forgettable November day that saw the Irish upset by a lowly Syracuse squad, and the students pelt the football team with snowballs, Te'o chose Notre Dame.

These days we seem to know where a player is going days before he actually announces. Te'o would go on to make his own legacy at Notre Dame, where he helped to end USC's eight-game winning streak over the Irish in 2010, before beating the Trojans to close the 2012 regular season and earn a spot in the BCS National Championship game.

This article first appeared on Notre Dame Fighting Irish on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: