Mormon linebacker helps lead Catholic Notre Dame to national championship game

Our Take: Manti Te'o, linebacker for the top ranked Notre Dame football team, is not only a star defensive player, but a committed member of the LDS church.

It was a goal-line stand in the fourth quarter that sealed the University of Notre Dame football team's Saturday victory over the University of Southern California and earned the No. 1-ranked team a trip to the national championship game.

Leading the bruising Fighting Irish defense was senior linebacker Manti Te'o, whose play this season has earned him consideration for the Heisman Trophy and has helped lead a storied squad back to the top of college football after years of floundering.

But Te'o initially struggled with the decision over whether to attend Notre Dame. The Catholic school's star linebacker is a committed Mormon.

Read more about Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o's faith on CNN.