Coney Leaving It All On The Field In 2018
It's not a secret Notre Dame linebacker Te’von Coney deciding to return for his senior season was a significant boost to the Irish defense.
The 6-foot-1, 240-pounder recorded 116 tackles in 2017 and was called a “tackling machine” along with fellow linebacker Drue Tranquill last week by head coach Brian Kelly.
“We're really fortunate to have two tackling machines, if you will, with those two guys,” stated Kelly. “A lot of experience and so that's a great thing. It doesn't mean that they have arrived.”
It’s hard to argue Coney isn’t a tackling machine, especially after a huge Citrus Bowl where he made 17 tackles against LSU. The Palm Beach Gardens (Fla.) native knows there is a buzz around him entering 2018 but is aware he and his defense have to put in the work over the next few weeks.
“We know we have a lot to do,” explained Coney. “We’re going to come out each day and work hard on our skills and technique, so when September 1st comes, we’re ready.”
It was a little awkward to talk about a player leaving early for the NFL that didn’t start for quite some time into the season, but that’s how impressive Coney finished the year.
Coney wanted to make a difference for the team, and it led to individual success.
“As more opportunities came, I felt more comfortable, and I was able to get in a rhythm and understand what the offense was trying to do,” recalled Coney. “It was about comfortability and getting an opportunity.
“When I got the opportunity to help the team win, I knew it was time to do it.”
The 17 tackles gained the headlines following the Citrus Bowl, but Coney also controlled the game. The production didn’t necessarily come as a surprise to Coney as he wanted to make a statement.
“I knew with all the work I put in, I had become a good player,” Coney explained. “Every time I get a chance to showcase, I want to go out there and show I’m the best player on the field and the best linebacker in the country.
“The opportunity against LSU, a great SEC school, I wanted to show I could play at that level and be one of the best. I decided I wanted to go out there and put my best game on. I want to get better every chance I get. I put a lot of things behind me and focused on getting the team the 10th win.”
As the days inch closer to Michigan coming to South Bend, Coney wants to live up to the words of his head coach, and that means getting the ball.
“I want to be the guy that goes and gets the ball to give my team a chance to win,” Coney said. “Any chance I get to make a tackle, I want to do it.
“Having instincts to put yourself in a good position to make a play on the ball carrier. You have to be aggressive, violent and everything else will come.”
Coney also has made physical progress in year two of Matt Balis, and he believes those gains will translate into a big 2018.
“It was similar to last year,” Coney said of the strength and conditioning program. “We continued to work on my flexibility. He pushes me each day on my conditioning and my strength. He finds ways for me to get better so when the season comes, I’m bulletproof and ready to go.”
One summer workout was designed to stick in the minds of the team as Balis had the team run every stair inside Notre Dame Stadium and Coney got the message loud and clear.
“It was good to get in there and run the whole stadium to know when September 1st comes, we know how much sweat and tears we put into the stadium,” said Coney. “You have to leave it all on the field.”