Feb 25, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish linebacker Manti Te’o

At points during his Senior season, Manti Te’o was projected as the 1st pick in the NFL Draft. After a poor performance against Alabama, girlfriend hoax and slow 40 at the NFL Draft, Te’o began to fall on the draft board of many teams. But, experts still believed that the Notre Dame star would be selected in the first round.

Every time a team came up who needed a Middle Linebacker such as Chicago, Minnesota and Baltimore, they declined to take him. Minnesota passed on the Heisman Runner-up three times. Former Notre Dame players and current Minnesota Vikings stars Harrison Smith and Kyle Rudolph told NBCSports Sideline report Alex Flannigan that they thought the Vikings would select Te’o if he was there but that he probably would not be on the board. Both men turned out to be wrong.

Going into the second day, Mel Kiper Jr. has Manti Te’o as his best available player. He should not last long but he was not expected to even be here. Te’o probably does not get past the New York Jets with the 38th overall pick. Possible landing spots could be the Eagles, Lions, Bengals and Jets.

Te’o is not the 1st Notre Dame player to fall in recent memory. Quarterback Brady Quinn and Jimmy Clausen were expected to be high picks but fell to the late first round and second round respectively.

Oct 13, 2012; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish tight end Tyler Eifert (80) makes a catch in the end zone for a touchdown against Stanford Cardinal cornerbacks Devon Carrington (5) and Terrence Brown (6) at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame defeats Stanford in overtime 20-13. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Tyler Eifert was a 3-star prospect in the 2009 class. Following what could have been career ending surgery, Eifert became a go to player for the Fighting Irish. Now, Eifert is the 21st pick of the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2013 NFL Draft.

Reviewing the 2009 Rivals rankings, the recruiting service had Tyler Eifert ranked as the 24th best Tight End in the country. Efiert surpassed those rankings to become the 1st Tight End off the board.

In his career at Notre Dame, Eifert set the school record for receptions with 140 grabs in the three years that he played. He totaled 1,840 receiving and served as a captain during the 2012 season that saw Notre Dame go undefeated.

Eifert proved that he was top Tight End in the 2013 draft by performing well at the combine. He ran a 4.65 second 40-yard dash. He also has a 35.5 inch vertical jump. Eifert checks in at 6’6″ 250lbs.

Eifert joins Head Coach Marvin Lewis in Cincinnati. He will be apart of an Offense that is commanded by 3rd year starter Andy Dalton. Eifert will be a weapon with Wide Receiver A.J. Green and Tight End Jermaine Gresham.

NBC announced Thursday that they have renewed their television partnership with Notre Dame through the year 2025.  The deal starts in 2016, and gives NBC the right to at least seven Notre Dame home games a year.

Oct 8, 2011; South Bend, IN, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish coach Brian Kelly does an interview with NBC after the game with Air Force Falcons at Notre Dame Stadium. Notre Dame defeated Air Force 59-23. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Also making news this week is the announcement of Tom Hammond stepping down as the play-by-play man for Notre Dame Football.  Dan Hicks, who filled in for Hammond during this past season for the Notre Dame/Pittsburgh triple-overtime thriller, will take Hammond’s spot in the booth with color commentator Mike Mayock.

Prognosis: Good move for Notre Dame and NBC.  Notre Dame Football has been a cornerstone for NBC for over 20 years.  With the added Shamrock Series on the Notre Dame schedule and the overwhelming fan base support off this past season, the 10-year extension isn’t a “game changer”, but the move will continue to benefit both sides. It’s all about the cash.