Manti Te'o highlights college football awards night, makes Notre Dame history

Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o will need to wait until Saturday night to see if he makes history as the first true defender to win the Heisman trophy, but that doesn't mean the standout defender isn't already setting records.

Thursday night, Te'o won the Bednarik, Maxwell and Walter Camp National Player of the Year awards to bring his season total to six major awards. The middle linebacker finished the season with 101 total tackles, and seven interceptions.

Of the three awards Te'o took home, it's the Walter Camp that holds the most significance. He joins rare company as the third defender to win the award, along with Charles Woodson and Hugh Green. The next step for Te'o will be hoping to emulate Woodson, who won the Heisman trophy in 1997 as a defender, special teams player and occasional wide receiver.

The total list of accolades for T'eo in 2012 is eye-popping, winning the Bednarik, Maxwell, Walter Camp, Nagurski, Butkus and Lombardi trophies. With Saturday's Heisman yet to be named, it's clear Te'o will be regarded as one of college football's greats, even if he doesn't tilt the odds in New York.