Lavonte David vs Manti Te'o

[SandhillshuskerW]

Interesting stats. It's all about the hype. If your team is good (as in, Top 10 good), you'll get more. Being on the #1 team is basically more important than having great stats. That's how Klein went from the Heisman front-runner to distant third in one game.

I would agree that it helps out if you're on a really good team, but RG3 basically blew that out of the water!

Not really. They lost three games but they won the last five before the Trophy presentation and were back up to #12. It was a little outside the norm but they were close to the Top 10 and he had plenty of "highlight reel" plays in addition to good stats.

I would agree for the most part, but RG3 was still on a team that didn't dominate game after game. I'm not saying that he didn't deserve it that year though, because I think he was definitely the best player that year.

 

[SandhillshuskerW]

I guess I always thought that the Heisman was mainly for a player that was irreplaceable on his team,

I don't think teams with lots of good players should be punished, although I did feel David was the most irreplaceable guy on the 2011 defense for us.

which David definitely was, the best player at his position that year, that I would argue David definitely was that year

I don't know if he was. I think he was a pretty good one who was highly productive in our system, but there were a lot of top linebackers. What about Luke Kuchely (swept the LB awards), or Dont'a Hightower (Alabama), for example? Can't measure with stats alone, the way you can sort of do on offense.

I would still take David over both of them, but as I have mentioned, I'm biased. I know that our defense wouldn't have been even close to as good as it was without David. I don't know if you could say the same for Boston College or especially Alabama that year.

 

[Chaddyboxer]

Down south, we say the same thing about Jarvis Jones and Jedevon Clowney. Te'o is a great player, but his stats are not as good as other players out there. I guess its debatable about the impact these players have had on their teams. IMO, a strong player from USC, Notre Dame, MICH and Ohio State will beat out other, similar or even better players from other teams. That seems to be what history shows.

Both Jarvis Jones and Clowney are very impressive.....and are better than Te'o from what I have heard. Clowney is a freak and I've been hearing he has been tearing it up this year. It's pretty crappy to know these two impressive defensive athletes weren't up for the Heisman at all, yet Te'o was. Hmmmm......

 

[LumberJackSker]

well the year David put up those numbers he was the only linebacker on the field most of the time, Te'o plays in a 3-4 so he competing for tackles with 3 other linebackers, Te'o plays on a better team playing in the big games as well, I'm not saying David didn't deserve to be there I just don't think you can just compare the numbers, in that case look at luke kuechly's numbers while he was at BC he should have been in new york 3 years in a row

 

[flatwaterfan]

Lord. I hope they don't go full Tebow on this. I won't be able to stand it for 3 years.

 

[huKSer]

The fact that Te'o made it, and got as many votes as he did, confirms what a joke the Heisman is.

They're not looking for the best player, they're looking for the best story.

There are TWO reasons he was a finalist: he played for Notre Dame and the off the field events. While I feel for the guy that he lost his mom and girl friend, it does not qualify him for the Heisman

 

[Count 'Bility]

Te'o plays for Notre Dame. They are ranked #1. He has an inspirational and emotional story following him. If Notre Dame loses even one game throughout the year thus taking them out of NC contention, he is not even in New York last night.

Yes, the Heisman has transpired into a complete joke. Why do they change the number of finalists from year to year. Why isnt there a set number of finalists on a consistent basis? I think it's a way for them to rig up the voting somehow. RGIII is the only vintage Heisman winner of the last 10 years in my mind.

 

[clyde40]

What's really sad is comparing him to Will Compton a lot closer than what you would think.

 

[tjohn deaux]

David and Te'o are different kinds of players, but I would take David over Te'o in a heartbeat. David was EVERYWHERE and IMO a better one-on-one play maker. Te'o seems to me to benefit from being involved in lots of plays, but it doesn't seem to me he makes the kinds of plays in space like David always made. It is a media popularity contest for the Heisman, no doubt.

 

[tschu]

Lavonte's problem was that he didn't have a dead girlfriend and Nebraska wasn't an undefeated team.

Heisman is simply an award that goes to whoever the media latches onto as the most attention-worthy athlete, followed by more attention-whoring, culminating in an attention-whorish ceremony. It has very little to do with reality.

Te'o is an average linebacker, at best.

 

[Dawg to the Bone]

Down south, we say the same thing about Jarvis Jones and Jedevon Clowney. Te'o is a great player, but his stats are not as good as other players out there. I guess its debatable about the impact these players have had on their teams. IMO, a strong player from USC, Notre Dame, MICH and Ohio State will beat out other, similar or even better players from other teams. That seems to be what history shows.

Both Jarvis Jones and Clowney are very impressive.....and are better than Te'o from what I have heard. Clowney is a freak and I've been hearing he has been tearing it up this year. It's pretty crappy to know these two impressive defensive athletes weren't up for the Heisman at all, yet Te'o was. Hmmmm......

And it's not even the Heisman really, but for Te'o to sweep the top three defensive awards when there are others just as deserving if not more so is disturbing. It would have been nice if they could have passed the love around some. See where Clowney and Jarvis Jones go in the draft compared to Te'o.

 

[Brouhaha]

------------------Compton-----Te'o

Total Tackles:---101---------103

Unassisted:-------31-----------52

Assisted:----------70-----------51

Interceptions:-----0-------------7

TFL:--------------6-28-------5.5-19

Sacks:-----------3-26--------1.5-13

QB Hurries:-------3-------------4

Passes Br. Up:----7-------------4

Interceptions and Unassisted are the only things that really stand out for Manti.

To further prove the point of his undeserving-ness.

In my opinion, it might be because Notre Dame had so many spotlight games throughout the year that it seemed like every week the spotlight was on Te'o.

 

[shyndy]

Isn't clowney's nickname Doodoo? No way you ever. Win the heisman named doodoo lol

 

[Count 'Bility]

------------------Compton-----Te'o

Total Tackles:---101---------103

Unassisted:-------31-----------52

Assisted:----------70-----------51

Interceptions:-----0-------------7

TFL:--------------6-28-------5.5-19

Sacks:-----------3-26--------1.5-13

QB Hurries:-------3-------------4

Passes Br. Up:----7-------------4

Interceptions and Unassisted are the only things that really stand out for Manti.

To further prove the point of his undeserving-ness.

In my opinion, it might be because Notre Dame had so many spotlight games throughout the year that it seemed like every week the spotlight was on Te'o.

Spotlight yes. But only as a result of the fact that most of their games were much closer than they shouldve been, against mediocre to bad competition.

 

[Brouhaha]

------------------Compton-----Te'o

Total Tackles:---101---------103

Unassisted:-------31-----------52

Assisted:----------70-----------51

Interceptions:-----0-------------7

TFL:--------------6-28-------5.5-19

Sacks:-----------3-26--------1.5-13

QB Hurries:-------3-------------4

Passes Br. Up:----7-------------4

Interceptions and Unassisted are the only things that really stand out for Manti.

To further prove the point of his undeserving-ness.

In my opinion, it might be because Notre Dame had so many spotlight games throughout the year that it seemed like every week the spotlight was on Te'o.

Spotlight yes. But only as a result of the fact that most of their games were much closer than they shouldve been, against mediocre to bad competition.

Stanford, Oklahoma, Michigan, USC(iffy)

That's a pretty tough line up that we sure as hell didn't face.