Manti Te'o was a part of one of the wildest stories in sports history. Hawaiin born Manti Te'o went on to have a successful football career, joining the NFL in 2013, after he was selected by the San Diego Chargers. They have a daughter, Hiromi, and a dog, Prince. In addition to his salary, he also earns a substantial amount of money from endorsements and sponsorships. Yes, it is a sports story, a football story to a degree, but really its a story about two individuals who were pretty young at the time I think they were 19-, 20-years-old when they were building this relationship and so to us they were really the only two people that knew what those conversations were, that knew what their relationship was like, that knew how each other felt about one another. The 29-year-old ex-Notre Dame superstar swapped "I Do's" with longtime girlfriend Jovi Nicole Engbino on the beach in La Jolla, CA. 2. While playing at Notre Dame, he received All-American honors and eight national awards. But hed just gotten married and just had a kid, and I think for both Naya and Manti, neither were quite happy with how the media at large covered this saga back in 2013. 2022 ND Football. When you list the biggest names in the last quarter-century of Notre Dame football, few players are bigger than 2012 Heisman Trophy runner-up Manti Te'o. Te'o was one of the most decorated recruits to choose Notre Dame, and of those to attend, he had the career that perhaps best met such high expectations, being . School: Notre Dame. 7 min read The new Netflix documentary "Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn't Exist" tells the story of how Manti Te'o was a victim of an elaborate and cruel catfishing. It's a wild tale full of lies, twists, and pure drama surrounding a. Teo married Jovi Engbino in 2020, the Deseret News reported. His first contract with the Saints was worth $5.2 million, and he has since signed a four-year contract extension worth $22 million. 21 hours. The NFL linebacker, who was once at the center of a catfishing hoax involving a fake girlfriend, announced on Instagram earlier this week that he got married to. Manti Te'o Is Married Now. Manti Teo is the subject of the new Netflix documentary Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didnt Exist.. And so I think for both of them the opportunity to really interview at length, at deep, about this story was appealing and attractive to them. This episode was produced by Miranda Mazariegos and edited by Jeanette Woods. Manti Te'o in "Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn't Exist." His NFL career was winding down I doubt that this wouldve been a story that he wouldve commented on or done a really long form in-depth interview on while he was still active in the NFL. The NFL owes him an apology. While the documentary reveals how Teo has worked through the trauma over the past decade and has come to peace with it all, it doesnt touch on what the former Notre Dame football star is up to now. The couple has a daughter who recently turned 1. Required fields are marked *. His most notable endorsement is with Adidas, for whom he has appeared in several commercials. He added he felt like the story overshadowed his grandmother, who died during that 2012. In a new documentary on Netflix, Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn't Exist, Manti Te'o gets the opportunity to tell his full story for the first time in nearly ten years. The couple kept the ceremony super small due to the COVID. Your email address will not be published. Manti Te'o became a punch line, really, the subject of incredible intense online bullying. How Did Manti Te'o Get Catfished By "Lennay Kekua"? He has earned nearly $45 million in salary from his time in the NFL. We always felt like the Deadspin guys could have interesting voices to a degree. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 5. Now Te'o issued a statement of sorts regarding all of the positive feedback he's received since the documentary went public. Manti Teos net worth is estimated to be around $10 million. However, he is now a free agent, meaning he could leave Chicago to sign with other teams. 3. Copyright 2022 Deseret News Publishing Company. In a matter of minutes, Manti Te'o transformed from a universally beloved symbol of resilience into a universally derided laughingstock. Im forever grateful.. BYU football gets second defensive commit in a day, BYU football gets commitment from West HS defensive end Talitui Pututau, Shorthanded: BYU and SMU will be missing key football players in Saturdays New Mexico Bowl, Kalani Sitake is counting on Jay Hill to help fix BYUs defense. He also played for the New Orleans Saints, and Chicago Bears. CNN spoke with Maclain Way, who created the Untold series with brother Chapman, about how the team approached portraying Tuiasosopos and Teos journeys as both synchronous and separate. Backstory: The Tale of Te'o Debuts Sunday at 8:30 p.m. LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 26: Manti Te'o #51 of the New Orleans Saints looks on from the sideline during the second half of a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on . UNTOLD, Netflix's sports documentary series, will examine the story of Manti Te'o . Manti Te'o has found true love after all. Manti Teo is a professional football player who has been playing in the NFL since 2013. How did you decide to navigate that in the two episodes, particularly for an audience that may not be as familiar with transgender identity and LGBTQ+ issues? 2022 ND Football. Thats really the story telling that we like to tell in the vein of doing these sports documentaries. The. Manti Teo is a professional football player who has been playing in the NFL since 2013. She now, and we are so encouraging of this, identifies as a proud trans woman. Meet Notre Dame's 2023 Recruiting Class Commitments . 933 shares. He has invested in a number of companies, including real estate and tech startups. Te'o went on to have a career in the NFL and is now a free agent, having last played for the Bears in 2020. There were excuses of, Oh a family member is ill. Somebody was in the hospital, he said. AP Te'o signed a two-year deal with the Saints in 2017, before he was signed to the Bears' practice squad three years later. He is currently a linebacker for the New Orleans Saints, having been drafted in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. What did you feel about the Manti Te'o documentary on Netflix?This is a conversation from The Pat McAfee Show LIVE from Noon-3PM EST Mon-FriIf you aren't on . He is best known for his college career at Notre Dame, where he was a Heisman Trophy finalist and won numerous awards. Te'o married Jovi Engbino in 2020, the Deseret News reported. A Warner Bros. He, unfortunately, had an injury-riddled. He played college football at Notre Dame and went on to be drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round . His first contract with the Saints was worth $5.2 million, and he has since signed a four-year contract extension worth $22 million. 2022 Cable News Network. Rotowire Dec 7, 2020. Teo, Tuiasosopo and the elaborate 2013 hoax are the subject of a new two-part documentary, Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didnt Exist, directed by Ryan Duffy and Tony Vainuku, out Tuesday on Netflix. It may have just been some random words to everybody, but for me at that time, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I gave you my last name and it looks good on you Mrs. Teo, Manti Teo shared in an Instagram post on Aug. 30, 2020. He had fallen in love with a fake Facebook profile. Its a big ask. And for us as filmmakers, thats when we really knew, All right, we have something special here. How I catfished Manti Teo and changed our lives forever, Meet the woman Manti Teo married after catfishing nightmare, Teo participated in a two-part Netflix documentary, Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium gets new sponsor, Brian Daboll failed the Giants in high-stakes game, Up to Jets to back up Robert Saleh's glimmer of Rex Ryan, Picks against spread for every game in NFL Week 14, The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman, Amazin' But True: A NY Mets Baseball Podcast, Gangs All Here: A NY Jets Football Podcast, Retired Navy SEAL who came out as trans announces detransition: 'destroyed my life'. ET on ESPN . Manti Te'o's draft stock did eventually get impacted as he would fall to the second round and get picked number 38 to the Chargers. Im a sports fan but I definitely thought that her part of the story was the one that roped me in. The renewed attention on the football player is due to a new streaming show on Netflix. Tuiasosopo has since come out as a transgender woman. That's when somebody uses a false identity to deceive others online, often to create a relationship. Manti Te'o was one of the most promising linebackers in the early 2010's. He began his collegiate career in 2009 at the University of Notre Dame. But I do think in a way, none of our documentaries, even though theyre sports documentaries, really have anything to do with whos going to win the championship game, whos going to hit the three-pointer as the clock winds down and win the game for their team. hide caption. Manti Te'o, an college footballer in the US was at the peak of his athletic career when he fell victim to one of the biggest catfishing scandals America had seen at the time. Manti Te'o is a hoax victim, Notre Dame says, but questions continue to pop up. I think that these all kind of start and stop where you get your main storytellers and then you start to think about who else could have interesting voices. Teo is currently a free agent, the Deseret News reported. When we first talked to Naya, the way she spoke about her journey of self-discovery and a journey of self-identity was an evolving process. Could the upset of No. Theres this idea in the episodes of, you could call it lineage maybe, where both Manti and Naya are focusing on being an inspiration to the people coming after them, particularly in the second episode. Manti Te'o never wanted one chapter to define his whole life story. Manti Te'o responds to reaction to documentary. He has also invested in cryptocurrency, as well as stocks and bonds. According to Teos Instagram account, the couple had a sealing ceremony in the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in November 2021. The college football starwho won a national championship while attending Notre Damewas the . Manti Te'o played for the San Diego Chargers in 2014. But at the time that we were filming this documentary, her journey was evolving to a degree. Manti Malietau Louis Te'o [a] ( / mnta to / MAN-ty TEH-'oh; [1] born January 26, 1991) [2] is an American football linebacker who is a free agent. Manti Te'o. Advertisement. In high school, Te'o was an all-around star - beloved by those around him and on track for a full football scholarship at the University of Notre Dame. Manti played for teams like the San Diego Chargers, the New Orleans Saints, and the Chicago Bears during Manti Te'o lives in Utah with his wife Jovi Nicole, whom he married in 2020. He told CBS that there he had tried to meet up with Kekua, even purchasing plane tickets. Rising above the tragedy he seemed unstoppable on the field as Notre Dame went on to a winning season. Former Notre Dame linebacker and 2012 Heisman Trophy finalist Manti Te'o was part of a catfish hoax during his senior season with the Irish. Manti Te'o is an American professional football player who has a net worth of $3.5 million. The doc shows how the . Things I learned from the Manti Te'o documentary. 2. Manti Te'o is a 31-year-old Samoan-Hawaiian football linebacker from Laie, Hawaii. I needed to reveal it, Teo said. Former Notre Dame football star Manti Te'o was pictured in a tight-fitting blue button-down and jeans as he walked alongside his wife, Jovi Nicole, and carried their daughter, Hiromi, in a . Manti Te'o is back in the news along with an embarrassing story of being catfished. Manti Te'o thanks fans for support following Netflix documentary. 1. If theres anything I would like to do, its to give my grandmother that respect that has kind of been missed the last 10 years, he said, because I did lose my grandmother., The best insights from the ultimate insiders, 2022 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, the catfishing scandal that took over his life, Manti Teo emotional in first public return to Notre Dame. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity. He has EVERY reason to be bitter and pissed off still, yet he forgives everyone, including Ronaiah, for this. It seems everyone and their mother has taken in the Manti Te'o recently released on Netflix documentary, "Untold: The Girlfriend that didn't Exist.". She takes a central role throughout the two episodes, bringing audiences along on her journey of self discovery and gender identity shaped in part by her experiences catfishing Teo. It was probably a call that was only going to be 15, 20 minutes, and we ended up talking to her for two hours. Manti Te'o was all over headlines in 2012, and not because he was making a Heisman-worthy tackle. Manti Teos primary source of income is his salary from the NFL. Linebacker Manti Te'o went down with a non-contact injury on Sunday and was immediately ruled out. Manti Te'o's healing beganwhere else?at a JAY-Z concert. All Rights Reserved, Remember the Manti Teo saga? Heisman Voting : 2nd in 2012. Instead, the country became fascinated with how Te'o had been caught up in perhaps the most . Manti Te'o played for Notre Dame and the San Diego Chargers. Do you call somebody and say, Hey, I just found out somebodys alive?'. Te'o was the victim of catfishing. Why did you make that choice to lead with her and put her story at the forefront? The story of Teo and his fake girlfriend is a well-known one, but the story of Tuiasosopo who created the fictional girlfriend as a way to come to terms with her own gender dysphoria is less so. He was drafted in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft after a successful college career at Notre Dame. I think it was just very genuine from them. Manti Te'o In 2013, Manti Te'o had a bright professional career on the horizon. Te'o played for the New Orleans Saints, at the time, still lodged in the damn near never-ending come down from that one . Manti te'o, on the media chaos after the scandal broke. Teo had only communicated with Kekua, who was said to have suffered a serious car accident before being diagnosed with leukemia, virtually. Teo told CBS Mornings when he was on the Saints in 2017, teammate Cam Jordan took a bunch of players to a Jay-Z concert, where the rap star opened with, you cannot heal what you dont reveal.. So far, he has played for several NFL teams including the San Diego Chargers, the New Orleans Saints, and. He added he felt like the story overshadowed his grandmother, who died during that 2012 season. 2. The story is a classic of the genre. I think there was a pile of documentary pitches sitting in his inbox over the course of the years. I think if the documentary was starting today, considering where Nayas at, we would probably be in a different point, but at that time Naya wasnt quite identifying as that. Its just always been a white whale in the sports documentary space; its something that my brother and I remember very well, just kind of reading the news media on it and all the noise. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, college, draft, and more on Pro-football-reference.com. Just hours later, his girlfriend died of leukemia. Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didnt Exist, hit Netflix on Tuesday. "Yesterday I got to marry my best friend and the love of my life in an intimate beach . He played there . After suffering a personal loss, Manti questions the truth about Lennay and is forced to deal with the fallout when a shocking revelation comes to light. An NFL football player says he has met a woman he . Theres going to be a new Netflix documentary about it, About Utah: Manti Teo wasnt the only one duped in strange saga, Manti Teo reveals how he feels about the girlfriend who didnt exist, We now know Utah tight end Dalton Kincaids plan for the future. In 2013, Te'o was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round. You also showed some older photos and footage from before she transitioned. Only, his girlfriend didnt actually die. The Notre Dame star linebacker was the Heisman Trophy runner-up in 2012 and is one of the most decorated college . Teo went on to have a career in the NFL and is now a free agent, having last played for the Bears in 2020. Teo participated in a two-part Netflix documentary titled Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didnt Exist, in which he revealed his side of the story. Part 2. Get the latest news, stats, videos, highlights and more about linebacker Manti Te'o on ESPN. In 2012, Manti Te'o was a star linebacker for Notre Dame, a Heisman Trophy candidate with a bright future ahead in the NFL. Looking back now, it almost feels as if Te'o is frozen in time, forever defined as the first high-profile catfishing victim, the main character of a landmark internet moment, eternally trapped in the amber . Discovery Company. I dont think they wanted that media coverage to be the period at the end of this really long sentence that was a story between these two individuals. Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images 21 Creighton be the turning point the Cougars desperately needed? I gave you my last name and it looks good on you Mrs. Te'o," Manti Te'o shared in an Instagram post on Aug. 30, 2020. The Philadelphia Phillies fell just short of winning the 2022 World Series, but it can claim the title of the top trending sports team of the year. Manti Teo has earned a substantial amount of money from endorsements and sponsorships. LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 26: Manti Te'o #51 of the New Orleans Saints looks on from the sideline during the second half of a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 26, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. ". Part 1. Manti Te'o is a football linebacker born on January 26, 1991, in Laie, Hawaii. In participating regions, you'll also hear a local news segment that will help you make sense of what's going on in your community. Checkout the latest stats for Manti Te'o. His skills on the field eventually led him to the NFL, where he has played for the Chargers, New Orleans Saints, and Chicago Bears. "I couldn't give you the world but I think I did better . (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images) TRENDING. The two-part documentary explores the Manti Teo catfishing saga through the eyes of Teo and the perpetrator. Position: LB. In 2013, he was drafted by the San . He's the victim of a very elaborate hoax. Manti Te'o became a household name in 2013, and unfortunately it wasn't necessarily for his skills on a football field. Yeah, and I think also we dont quite have a mandate, or we dont really like to shoehorn these stories into specific thematic overarching bridges between all of our Untold documentaries. He is currently a. Manti Te'o. Naya had appeared on the Dr. Phil show and had engaged with light media performances but had never really gone deep on the record and told her whole side of the story. During his college career, he was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy and won several awards, including the Butkus Award, given to the nations top college linebacker, and the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, given to the nations best defensive player. We definitely felt like Naya and Manti were our main storytellers, but obviously as you get introduced to other people and other people have their own perspectives or their own experiences with the story, we did find the investigation that Tim Burke and Jack Dickey at Deadspin did into the story very interesting. We reached out to Naya and just had a fascinating conversation with her. Journalists of all kinds took to social media to express their remorse for the role the media played by speculating and tearing Manti down. (Naya) was very open, very vulnerable, she told her story warts and all. Teos NFL career began with the San Diego Chargers, but he has also played with the New Orleans Saints and, most recently, the Chicago Bears. By Sean Gregory August 18, 2022 4:29 AM EDT L ast Saturday Manti Te'o watched the new Netflix documentary Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn't Exist, surrounded by family in his home in Utah. Manti Te'o in "Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn't Exist." Netflix It's been nearly a decade since Manti Te'o, a former Heisman Trophy candidate and star linebacker for Notre Dame, became the center of a media firestorm when it was revealed that his girlfriend, Lennay Kekua who had purportedly died of leukemia did not really exist. Te'o was added to the Bears' practice squad Oct. 20, but the 29 . Manti Teo has earned nearly $45 million in salary from his time in the NFL. Our executive producer is Natalie Winston. Since then, he has played for teams like New Orleans Saints and Chicago Bears. As gifted linebacker Manti Te'o adjusts to life at Notre Dame and attracts attention from the NFL, an online connection begins to evolve. Jackson Mahomes on TikTok, WAGS roundup and more | Whos Scoring? (Splash News) "That's not the most important thing on my mind right now," Te'o told paparazzi of his plans as he was walking his pooch. "At that concert, Jay-Z opens with saying these words, 'You cannot heal what you don't reveal.' news. Teo recently shared on Instagram that he is grateful for all those who have supported him in the aftermath of the catfishing scandal. I think that the nuanced point to make is that these documentaries take a long time just because theyre their own art forms, and a two-part documentary for us took us over two years to make. And Manti's really laying . The former Notre Dame football star recently married girlfriend Jovi Nicole . But 10 years later, here's the story. Anything that stuck out that you hadnt been expecting? In this article, we will look at Manti Teos net worth and analyze what his financial situation is like. And I think for both of them they spoke from the heart when they talked about that and that meaning. So in discussion with her and our team and people that are deeply rooted into LGTBQ matters, we basically had an understanding that it wasnt quite our place as filmmakers to tell others about the complex journey that she was going on. Thank you to all the people that have stood by me and with me through these years. For both Naya and Manti, we did several multi-day interviews, long day interviews, two to three days with each of them. I think it was just something that felt genuine and important in the way that they talked about it. Obviously theyre the ones that got the anonymous tip and were the first to break the story and hit publish, but the behind the scenes on just how they operate as investigative journalists was just very fascinating to learn about. Despite the elaborate hoax facilitated by his former teammate Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, Manti Te'o was able to continue his football career. So for us as artists and filmmakers, when you get those interview answers back from your subjects it really is like a guiding light and a star in some way that encourages you to put them in your documentary film. Manti, who is 31 years old, describes himself as a . Both on the same day. Netflix's new Manti Te'o documentary, "Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn't Exist," has consistently ranked in the Top 10 for movies in the . I think we can go make this documentary film.. Flipboard. The official source for NFL news, video highlights, fantasy football, game-day coverage, schedules, stats, scores and more. Former NFL linebacker catfished. It was where, as filmmakers, we kind of had the most questions. In the media frenzy that followed, he went from the golden boy of Notre Dame football to the target of ridicule and attack. And then in terms of reaching out to Manti and talking to him, I definitely think a lot of people had approached him about talking about this story over the years. Was there anything that surprised you as you all were going about the research and reporting process? But many people may expect the episodes to be more football-focused. I think we caught Manti at a really interesting time in his life. appreciated. Yesterday I got to marry my best friend and the love of my life in an intimate beach ceremony, Engbino shared in her own Instagram post on Aug. 30. So they seemed to have a direct impact on the story, a direct impact on certain plot points in the story and how the story unfolded. Although this was not how we envisioned our ceremony, it was perfect. Once the Deadspin article placed Te'o in an ignominious light, every NFL team passed on drafting him in the first round of the 2013 NFL draft. The South Bend Tribune reported that on Oct. 10 during a taped interview with Brian Te'o and Manti Te'o's mother Ottillia, the father said that his son and Kekua met in person after a Notre Dame . I always kind of had more questions about who are the people that engage in this catfishing how did this happen, how did this come about, how was this relationship like between you two?. Kacy Standohar (@kacystandohar) August 17, 2022. His most notable endorsement is with Adidas, for whom he has appeared in several commercials. Its been a long time coming but Im excited and more importantly humbled and grateful in anticipation of this project with@netflix, he said on Instagram. Published Your effort and contribution in providing this feedback is much Game Logs. Manti Te'o is an American professional football player who currently plays for the New Orleans Saints in the NFL. It was a catfish all along with Ronaiah Naya Tuiasosopo, the woman behind the hoax, caught in the middle. Was that a theme that you all thought about while putting these episodes together? Of the top 10 teams on the list, only two . A new Netflix documentary explores one of the most famous incidents of catfishing. The linebacker said that he had lost the confidence that he had when he played for Notre Dame. Manti Te'o is a 31-year-old Samoan-Hawaiian football linebacker from Laie, Hawaii. Just listening to her motivations of why she decided to occupy this space, why create this online identity profile, DM and message a football player like Manti Teo, build a relationship, have phone calls it was all just really fascinating for us and i think that was really the basis of why we were so interested in speaking with her. It's the kind of captivating, complex story that's hard to forget once you hear it. Manti Teo is an American professional football player who currently plays for the New Orleans Saints in the NFL. He also earns a substantial amount of money from endorsements and sponsorships. Tuiasosopo, who went by Ronaiah at the time, denied NBC News' request for comment, but in the documentary, she said that during Te'o's . He has since become a mainstay in the Saints defense, starting in all 16 games in his first season and earning a Pro Bowl nod in 2017. You dont expect for somebody to say, Hey, somebodys dead, and three months later, Somebodys alive. What do you do with that information? Manti Te'o has found real love. This figure is based on his past and current NFL contracts, his endorsements and sponsorships, and his investments. And for me, Im not going to be like, Prove it.'. "Manti Te'o was the victim of a terrible hoax and still paid the biggest price for it. That has a lot of. NPR's Michel Martin speaks with Manti Te'o about the new documentary, Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn't Exist . I didnt know what to believe, Teo said. Act I In Which Manti Te'o Is a Golden God. Linebacker Manti Te'o led his side - Fighting Irish of Notre-Dame - to the BCS National Championship Game in 2012. He was the golden boy in his Hawaii hometown, active in his faith and easy to get along with. Notre Dame's best player robbed of national award. In 2012, when the linebacker was a senior at Notre Dame, he said both his grandmother and girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, had died. The sports documentary on Neflix explores the infamous girlfriend hoax of 2013. Published on September 1, 2020 03:52 PM. The media owes him an apology. It opens on February 4, 2009with an event that is, in the world of college football, the biggest day of the . Manti Teo is finally speaking in public on the catfishing scandal that took over his life 10 years ago in order to heal, the linebacker said in an interview. Manti Te'o Overview. Coach Prime and Colorado seem to be snagging Notre Dame commit. For this one, this kind of mega-big catfishing scandal from 2013, it just seemed ripe. He was a Heisman finalist . As of now, he is a free agent. What happened to Manti Te'o? Then, tragedy struck. Te'o has been placed on Chicago's practice squad COVID-19 list, Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle reports. A sportswriter thinks Te'o may have embellished his relationship. Maybe no one knows really about this story if they didnt choose to pursue that anonymous tip that they had. What made you decide to focus on Manti Teo and Nayas story specifically? In January of 2013, after his Notre Dame team had finished a remarkable football season and he had won many of college football's top awards, Manti Te'o became embroiled in a scandal as America quickly got an education in "catfishing." CNN Sans & 2016 Cable News Network. Nayas transition journey is a huge part of this documentary, and I know you included a disclaimer that Manti and some of those interviewed didnt know Naya is trans when referring to her. Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde said, "Just watched the documentary," Sports Illustrated's Pat Forde tweeted on Aug. 20. Your email address will not be published. The Notre Dame linebacker fell victim to one of the most highly publicized . Football linebacker Manti Te'o thanked his fans in a heartfelt video shared on his Instagram on Saturday for their support after the release of Netflix 's documentary, Untold: The Girlfriend Who . 12:13 PM EDT, Tue August 16, 2022. We will be having our reception and celebration when Temples and venues open back up so we can share this special occasion with our families and I couldnt be more excited.. Te'o recently appeared on "CBS Mornings" and revealed that the idea to open up about his story initially came when he attended a Jay-Z concert in 2017. And she ran us through just a remarkable journey that shes been on, a journey of self-discovery and self-identity and how she identifies as a trans woman. When Te'o was a freshman at Notre Dame in 2009, he accepted a Facebook friend request from "Lennay Kekua," a young woman who claimed . All Rights Reserved. He played college football at Notre Dame and went on to be drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round . The incident left a mental scar on Manti Te'o. He also has endorsement deals with companies such as Verizon and Under Armour. ", Brian and Ottilia Te'o, Manti's parents, in "Untold. 2012. The former NFL linebacker admitted in the documentary that the fallout from the scandal which resulted in a media frenzy heading into the 2013 draft caused him anxiety and nervousness for his. His girlfriend, the media discovered, didnt even exist. One thing that stood out to me is this is a story about Manti obviously, but you choose to lead with Naya, and you just said that you actually spoke to her first. And so for us, it was just really a strong requirement that we would have both of them speak about this because I think thats really the only way you can tell this type of story. 1. We as a society owe him an apology. Though audiences may first recognize Teos name, the documentary opens with Tuiasosopo. He said he was duped and not involved, but "Backstory . Te'o, who played for Notre Dame at the time, revealed after a September 2012 game against Michigan State that he had lost both his grandmother and his girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, on the same day.. He has also signed sponsorship deals with companies such as Gatorade and Gillette. The next year, Deadspin reported that the person behind Kekuas online persona was Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, a person from Seattle. He was drafted in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft after a successful college career at Notre Dame. Draft: 2nd round, 38th overall of the 2013 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers. Poster for Manti Te'o's Netflix documentary Te'o was picked in the second round of the 2013 draft by the Chargers, who played in San Diego back then. Most Popular. His grandma died, then his girlfriend. Then-Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o (5) reacts following a play during the first quarter of an NCAA college football game against Utah in South Bend, Ind., on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010. I know sometimes those things can be sensitive for a lot of folks. Chiefs pull off largest comeback in franchise history. This is one of the most bizarre stories in football history. We've received your submission. LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 26: Manti Te'o #51 of the New Orleans Saints looks on from the sideline during the second half of a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 26, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. In addition to his salary and endorsements, Manti Teo also has several investments. Share this article share tweet text email link Advertisement. Photo: Manti Te'o/Instagram. Really, we talk about these stories as theyre just very interesting things happening off-field or off-ice or off-court. Te'o, a linebacker for Notre Dame's Fighting Irish, famously believed he was in a relationship with a woman named Lennay Kekua, despite never meeting her in person. Email us at considerthis@npr.org. But it wasn't just his talent that attracted attention. August 16, 2022 11:10 pm ET. Manti Te'o put together an impressive college career in his four seasons at Notre Dame, where he was an award-winning linebacker who nearly walked away with the Heisman Trophy.However, when Te'o was ready to join the NFL, almost no one was interested in talking about his football career.. 1. These days, a lot of people have heard the term catfishing. Thanks for contacting us. It was 2013, and his . During his college career, he was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy and won several awards, including the Butkus Award . Manti Te'o being interviewed by Katie Couric on Jan. 22, 2013. It is likely that these investments have helped him to grow his net worth. Te'o played college football at Notre Dame, where he was a consensus All-American and received eight national awards. Naya Tuiasosopo in "Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn't Exist. I challenged myself at this time that if anybody asked about it or had questionsabout it, I would be open and I would have those hard conversations, and I started to feel the strength that I wouldget from talking about it.. But the girlfriend was a hoax. What Happened To Manti Te'o's Career. In high school, Teo was an all-around star beloved by those around him and on track for a full football scholarship at the University of Notre Dame. 1 day. Manti Te'o used to be revered. In 2012, star Notre Dame linebacker Manti T'eo's grandmother died. However, The South Bend. When we got the news that wed be able to make more Untolds and wed have a volume two, this was a story that was on our literal and proverbial whiteboard of sports ideas. In the years following an infamous catfishing scandal that rocked the sports world, Te'o found his forever fairytale in wife . It was 2017. What happened to Manti Te'o? Manti was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. A new Netflix documentary will explore one of the most talked about moments in recent college football history. And in the course of that process, its a unique way to speak with people and to hear their stories, but I think you definitely pick up on what is very important to them and what they feel on a deep, genuine human level. Did you encounter any technical issues? Host Michel Martin speaks with Te'o about the scandal and how he overcame it. MARTIN: That's the voice of Tim Burke, the former Deadspin reporter who broke the news of an elaborate hoax aimed at former Notre Dame star linebacker Manti Te'o. 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