Manti’s outstanding play is enough Heisman hype

When quarterback Joe Theismann arrived on the Notre Dame campus from his native New Jersey in the late 1960s, the last name was pronounced “theesman.”

At least until promotion-minded sports information director Roger Valdiserri persuaded Theismann to alter the pronunciation to “thighs-man” to better market him for the biggest individual prize in college athletics, the Heisman Trophy.

Fans of North Shore-bred linebacker Manti Te’o need not worry, however, there are apparently no plans afoot to contort his name for the Heisman campaign.

In fact, remarkably, there is no campaign.

No gimmicks, like the set of blue 7 lbs. weights Northwestern sent out on behalf of its quarterback, Dan Persa, or the miniature stock cars with running back DeAngelo Williams’ jersey number that Memphis put out in 2005. And no slogans like Wisconsin’s “This Fall Belongs to Ball” for running back Montee Ball this season.

Refreshingly, the hype isn’t happening and the Fighting Irish will let Te’o continue to do what he has done best every Saturday this season, which is sell himself.

One spine-jarring forced fumble and game-breaking interception at a time.

Entering Saturday’s game against Stanford, Heismanpundit.com, a site that tracks the Heisman race weekly, ranks Te’o fifth in the running, which is high standing for a defensive player.   

It isn’t like Notre Dame, with its reported $15 million-per-year NBC TV contract, can’t afford a Madison Avenue campaign. Or that the Fighting Irish, with a 25-year drought of Heisman winners since Tim Brown (1987), wouldn’t love to add to their seven-statue collection and break the tie with Ohio State.

Rather, Te’o is doing more than an army of public relations types. “I don’t think, at this point, we’re worried about creating visibility or raising awareness of who he is,” said John Heisler, Notre Dame Senior Associate Athletic Director who oversees such things. “I think it is safe to say that anybody connected with college football probably knows who Manti Te’o is at this point.”

A 4-0 September to remember, with dominating performances against Michigan and Michigan State on national TV and a Sports Illustrated cover, has seen to that.  And October hasn’t been bad either, especially after bouncing back from the double dose of tragedy, the deaths of a grandmother and girlfriend barely 24 hours apart.

When Te’o returned from a visit back home during an open week, the Irish suspected he might drop off for Miami last week. Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly told reporters this week, “Emotionally you might think the average person would have a little bit of a dip in energy and focus and it turned out to be the opposite. He was dynamic as a playmaker. He was making plays (against Miami) he hasn’t made all year, and I think I am probably resigned to the same fact that you are. He’s a unique individual and it doesn’t affect him.”

Heisler said Notre Dame’s plan for Te’o is simple: “Just try and keep his life normal so he can concentrate on football and hope that things keep going the way they have.”

Up to now, letting Manti be Manti has worked pretty well.

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Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.