The sons playing catch in the shadow of the Golden Dome want to hit like Manti Te’o.

The fathers and mothers praying at the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, a replica of the French shrine to the Virgin Mary, teach their children to live like him.

The students, who wore leis to the Michigan game last month after Te’o’s grandmother and girlfriend died within hours of each other, call him their own.

He is so revered it is as if Te’o, Notre Dame’s 255-pound middle linebacker, shook down the thunder from the sky, as the Notre Dame “Victory March” goes, all by himself. He has led the nation’s No. 2 scoring defense, which is largely responsible for Notre Dame’s 6-0 record and No. 5 Bowl Championship Series ranking.

He has personified hope after more than a decade of mediocrity. He has lived the university’s core values at a place where that matters, said Athletic Director Jack Swarbrick.