Manti Te'o is off to a hot start with the San Diego Chargers. For someone who's NFL future was constantly put into question for months, the rookie linebackers is doing nothing but impressing so far as a professional. The Chargers are seeing a world of potential from Te'o and the feeling is mutual as the linebacker breaks his media silence for the first time.
After delivering maybe the worst performance possible in Notre Dame's National Championship game, many were undecided on why the Chargers would draft Te'o. Well so far he has passed every test the team has given him. Te'o is winning over head coach Mike McCoy and veterans like center Nick Hardwick and fellow linebacker Larry English.
"I see what's going to be a heck of a football player. He gets good jumps on the snap. He knows where the ball is going. He seems to be really quick to react on it. In the locker room, he's a cool guy. He's easy to be around," Hardwick said.
McCoy is feeling the exact same thing. He praised Te'o for his work ethic and the progress he has made towards becoming a smarter player. McCoy said for Te'o is it "just a matter of learning the language."
Te'o broke his media silence for the first time since joining San Diego. The team kept the rookie away from reporters so he could focus on getting adjusted and not answering questions about the girlfriend hoax or how he is being treated in the locker room by the veterans.
"When you're on the football field, everything else doesn't matter. Thankfully for me, I'm surrounded by a bunch of teammates that have really pushed me to be better. All they care about is No. 50 is working his butt off, and I'll take care of the work ethic part. They'll make sure I'm moving in the right direction...I can't be a leader if I don't know where I'm going," Te'o said.
English says that kind of attitude from Te'o continues to win him fans in the locker room. The team finds him a humble player and wants Te'o to succeed.
