Manti Te’o made his long-awaited return to South Bend on Saturday.
The 2012 Heisman runner-up hadn’t been back on Notre Dame’s campus in nearly a decade after falling victim to a catfishing scheme involving a fake girlfriend.
Te’o returned to Notre Dame on Saturday afternoon, taking the field to present the American flag to the U.S. color guard before the game. He received a hero’s welcome for his efforts, with fans around Notre Dame Stadium giving Te’o a standing ovation.
MORE: Manti Te’o’s fake girlfriend, explained
He was visibly emotional as a result of the gesture.
Manti Te’o getting emotional. pic.twitter.com/stNFgRJqFg
— Tyler Horka (@tbhorka) September 17, 2022
It was an emotional moment for former Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o, who returned to campus and received a warm reception. 💚 pic.twitter.com/ytcvYxVxhu
— Notre Dame on NBC (@NDonNBC) September 17, 2022
Saturday’s game was the culmination of a fulfilling homecoming for Te’o, who took part in a number of different events around campus Saturday morning.
He rallied the fanbase with an emotive speech, pushing the crowd to stick together despite Notre Dame’s 0-2 start. He was joined by Fighting Irish coach Marcus Freeman.
Former Irish LB Manti Te’o gave a speech at today’s The Victory March:
“It’s easy to jump on the bandwagon when everything is going right.
But who’s gonna jump off that wagon when it ain’t rolling right and start pushing with me?
“That’s why I’m here.” @insideNDsports pic.twitter.com/xyOj0xtTWY
— Kyle Kelly (@ByKyleKelly) September 17, 2022
Te’o also dapped up the dozens of gold-and-green clad fans prior to Saturday’s clash.
Welcome home Manti pic.twitter.com/0VypVtGoUh
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) September 17, 2022
The former All-American’s high-profile returns comes on the heels of the release of the recent Netflix documentary, “Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist.” The documentary detailed the fake girlfriend hoax that rocked college football following Te’o’s senior season.
“It’s always good to be home. There’s no place like home. But I want to make this real clear. It’s not about me. It’s not about one person. It’s about this whole family,” Te’o said to fans, per ESPN.
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