Notre Dame Legend Describes New Work as (Fantasy) Football General Manager

Manti Te'o is bringing his passion for football to TV

Nick Shepkowski | Aug 15, 2024

Nov 12, 2017; Orchard Park, NY, USA; New Orleans Saints middle linebacker Manti Te'o (51) against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field. / Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

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Notre Dame Fighting Irish

You can't keep a good man down, and that's certainly the case with legendary Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o.

Te'o, who last played in the NFL during the 2020 playoffs with the Chicago Bears, is now taking his media career to the big time.

Te'o is joining the staff at NFL Network, a move that was announced on Thursday.

Manti Te'o explains why he's joining NFL Network ❤️ pic.twitter.com/LPfY3wiGzC
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) August 15, 2024

Te'o's New (Fantasy) Football Life

The part of Te'o's introduction on NFL Network that I most enjoyed was about his new life as a football general manager—or a fantasy football general manager, anyway.

"Now that I'm retired, I love fantasy football. I'm one of those guys you see on the waiver wire. I'm trading guys. I've become the GM I hated when I played. If you ain't producing, you're out."

It always fascinates me to see professional football players transition to post-football life, especially seeing the role football still plays in it.

For most of us, that transition happens while we're still in high school, when we realize a football scholarship or an opportunity to play at the next level isn't coming. Time that should be spent studying geometry or biology instead gets spent deciding if Bubba Franks is worth trading for your third running back.

Oh, I'm sorry—that was probably only my high school experience.

In all seriousness, all the best to Te'o in his new role. Being a ray of positivity doesn't always play well on a talk show, but here's hoping it's the start of a great run for the Notre Dame legend.