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To win the Heisman Trophy, it helps to play a great game at precisely the right time, against the right opponent. And that is what Johnny Manziel did.
He accounted for 345 yards and passed for two touchdowns in Texas A&M’s 29-24 victory over then-No. 1 and undefeated Alabama on Nov. 10.
That this game came when it did and against whom it did — after so many other Heisman hopefuls had fallen by the wayside — brought attention to big numbers the freshman quarterback had compiled in nine previous games, as a passer and a runner. They became record-breaking numbers.
For some reason, though, it didn’t matter to a lot of the Heisman voters that the Aggies had lost a couple of games along the way, to Florida (when Manziel played reasonably well, in his first college game) and to LSU (when he was intercepted three times and did not throw or run for a touchdown).
Meanwhile, Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o churned out consistency, leadership and clutch defensive plays as the Fighting Irish marched to 12-0, the No. 1 ranking and a spot in the national championship game.
It really is too bad that a Heisman Moment beats the closest thing we might ever see to a flawless season … and achieved despite the pain of lost loved ones during it. Chris Fowler said something very interesting last night; ESPN’s Heisman show host reported that an independent film study revealed Te’o missed two tackles all season. For a guy who made 103 of them, that’s pretty impressive. Oh, yeah … don’t forget the seven interceptions, a couple of them crucial.
The problem is this: How do you compare that with Manziel’s 44 touchdowns, 68.3 completion percentage, 3,419 yards passing and 1,181 rushing?
You can’t. And you don’t really need to. People can quote numbers all they want, but for many it comes down to subjectivity and agendas.
It’s a given that some biases are in play. This year you had some anti-Notre Dame disguised as defensive-stats-are-hard-to-quantify and some anti-SEC disguised as the-world-will-come-to-an-end-if-I-vote-for-a-freshman. Unfortunately for Te’o the former outweighed the latter.
It’s all part of it and there’s no way to change it. But I wish we could get rid of this whole idea of a "Heisman Moment" weighing so much. What other sport bases its top individual honor so much on a highlight?
THE STATE of Hawaii is rightfully in love with Te’o. How can you not be when he says things like, "Football provides me a platform to help people," and you know he means it.
He continues to have a positive effect on others, even when he’s not winning an award. There’s some bitterness out there in some corners, but then there’s this kind of thing, too:
"Even though I feel like a poor sport right now I’m just thinking how Manti Te’o would handle the situation," wrote former Kahuku football star Ray Galeai, who shares Te’o’s hometown of Laie. "He’s been a class act so imma try to hold it together … We cannot be more proud of you Manti for all your accomplishments and your example to the nation."
Every now and then you hear someone say the only reason Te’o made it to New York is that he plays for Notre Dame. Let’s remember he surprised us all when he chose the Fighting Irish, and when he did so they were down.
Where would Manti Te’o be without Notre Dame?
It should be the other way around. Where would Notre Dame be without Manti Te’o?
Reach Dave Reardon at dreardon@staradvertiser.com or 529-4783.
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