MANTI TE'O - LB

HEIGHT: 6-1
WEIGHT: 241
COLLEGE: NOTRE DAME
JOINED SAINTS: UFA-17 (SD)
NFL EXPERIENCE: 5
BIRTHDATE: 1/26/91

NFL CAREER – This talented, playmaking inside linebacker spent his first four seasons in San Diego after originally being selected by the Chargers in the second round (38th overall) of the 2013 NFL Draft. Overall, Te'o has appeared in 38 games with 34 starts posting 289 tackles (169 solo), 1.5 sacks, two interceptions, eleven passes defensed, one forced fumble and two special teams stops. The former Notre Dame standout looks to rebound from an Achilles injury suffered early in the 2016 and to compete for snaps in the club's defensive packages in 2017.

CAREER TRANSACTIONS – Signed by Saints to a two-year contract (UFA-SD), 3/22/17; Placed on Injured Reserve by Chargers, 9/28/16; Signed by Chargers to a four-year contract, 5/9/13; Selected in the second round (38th overall) in the 2013 NFL Draft by Chargers (4/26/13).

2016- After being selected as a team captain, started three games posting 21 tackles (11 solo), before his season was cut short due to a torn Achilles tendon. 2015– Started 12 games at ILB and led the Chargers with a career-high 107 tackles (73 solo), one half-sack, an 11-yard interception, three passes defensed, one forced fumble, five tackles for loss and one special teams stop. Named a defensive team captain for last four games of the season…Recorded a season-high and a career-high 16 tackles in 30-27 win vs. Cleveland Oct. 4...Inactive Oct. 18 at Green Bay, Oct. 25 vs. Oakland, Nov. 1 at Baltimore and Nov. 9 vs. Chicago (ankle)...Big effort in 31-25 win at Jacksonville Nov. 29, leading team with 13 tackles, while late second-quarter interception set up TD for 21-9 lead...Overtime tackle for loss among 11 stops Dec. 24 at Oakland. Tackled Charles Woodson for three-yard loss on reverse option play on 1st-and-goal from Chargers' 10 on opening possession of overtime...Finished with 10 tackles, 1/3/16 at Denver to log first 100-tackle season of career (107). Early in third quarter vs. Broncos, forced fumble vs. C.J. Anderson that Jahleel Addae recovered. 2014- Played in 10 games with six starts and recorded 68 tackles (36 solo), one sack, four passes defensed, two tackles for loss and one special teams stop…Injured foot Sept. 21 at Buffalo and was inactive for the next six games...Returned to action, Nov. 16 vs. Oakland...Made first career interception when he picked off Tom Brady, Dec. 7 vs. New England on Sunday Night contest...Team-high 14 tackles in 38-35 overtime win at San Francisco Dec. 20...Team and season-high 15 stops Dec. 28 at Kansas City. 2013- After being inactive for the first three weeks (foot), started next 13 games and finished with 93 tackles (49 solo), four passes defensed and five tackles for loss…Made a season-high 11 tackles, including one for loss, in Dec. 29 playoff- clinching season finale vs. Kansas City...Tied for second on squad with 13 tackles in playoffs.

COLLEGE – Four-year letterman at Notre Dame (2009-12) appeared in 51 games with 49 starts, including opening 48 straight contests to end his career, and totaled 437 tackles (third in school history), 34 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks, seven interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries…Captured a host of national awards after leading the Fighting Irish to an undefeated 2012 regular season as a senior and a meeting with Alabama in the BCS National Championship, leading team with 113 tackles (55 solo), two fumble recoveries and ranking third in the nation with a team-best seven interceptions, a school record for linebackers and the most at the position in the NCAA since 2000…Award haul included the Walter Camp Player of the Year, the Maxwell Award, the Lombardi Trophy, the Bednarik Award, the Nagurski Award, the Butkus Award, the Lott Trophy and the Notre Dame Monogram Club MVP Award…The runner-up in 2012 Heisman Trophy voting…First-team All-America as senior and second-team as junior...A two-time Capital One Academic All-America selection...2012 National Scholar-Athlete by the National Football Foundation...19-time Player of Week, including seven-time FBS Independent Defensive Player of Week and five-time Lott IMPACT Player of Week...four College Football Performance Awards...Posted a team-leading 128 tackles as a junior, including a career-high five sacks…Led the Irish with a career-high 133 tackles as a sophomore…Rockne Student-Athlete of Year as junior...Graduated with a degree in graphic design.

PERSONAL – USA Today Defensive Player of Year and The Sporting News High School Athlete of Year as senior 2008 at Punahou (Laie, Hi.) HS...Led school to first state title as senior...Invited to 2009 Under Armour All-American Game in Orlando, Fla., and Hawaii Prep Classic, featuring all-stars from mainland vs. Hawaii...First recipient of Butkus Award as top prep linebacker in country...Hawaii's Gatorade Player of Year in 2007 and '08...2007 Defensive Player of Year and first-team all-state by Honolulu Star-Bulletin and two time first-team all-state and conference defensive player of year by Honolulu Advertiser…Born in Laie, Hawaii.