Manti Te’o couldn’t maintain again the tears in his return to Notre Dame.
The previous Preventing Irish linebacker, and eight-year NFL participant, returned to South Bend, Ind., on Saturday to current the official colours earlier than the crew’s sport in opposition to Cal. It was his first public look on campus in over a decade, since his cat-fishing scandal shook the sports activities world.
He acquired thunderous applause as he was launched, visibly wiping away tears from his face and inserting his hand over his coronary heart as he saluted the group.
Only recently, Te’o shared his story publicly for the primary time as a part of Netflix’s two-part documentary “Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist.” Whereas starring at Notre Dame throughout his senior season in 2012, and amid a Heisman trophy push, Te’o revealed that each his grandmother and his girlfriend on the time, Lennay Kekua, had died.
Deadspin reported a yr later, nonetheless, that the individual behind Kekua’s on-line persona was truly Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, an individual from Seattle. Te’o and the digital persona solely communicated nearly and over the telephone — by no means face-to-face.
“It might have simply been some random phrases to everyone, however for me at the moment, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I wanted to disclose it,” Te’o instructed CBS about why he determined to share his story.
“I challenged myself right now that if anyone requested about it or had questions about it, I'd be open and I'd have these onerous conversations, and I began to really feel the energy that I'd get from speaking about it.”
At Notre Dame, Te’o was a consensus All-American his senior yr whereas additionally ending runner-up for the Heisman. He was chosen within the second spherical by the Chargers within the 2013 NFL Draft, after scrutiny surrounding his cat-fishing scandal noticed him slide, and performed 4 seasons with the crew. He later performed three seasons with the Rams and hung out with the Bears, however has not performed since 2020.
Notre Dame opened the season 0-2 beneath new head coach Marcus Freeman, with a loss to Ohio State adopted by a stunning upset by Marshall.
Previous to the sport in opposition to Cal, Te’o touched on the gradual begin.
“There's a motive we’re the Preventing Irish,” he instructed the group, per On3. “We’ll combat you wherever. We’ll combat you in there, we’ll combat you on the street, we’ll combat you within the parking zone. Turf, snow, rain — it doesn’t matter. We’ll combat you for 4 quarters. Now we’re going to get the job achieved. Keep in mind that language, boys. Keep fluent in it. Go Irish!”
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