[Strikeout King]

Notre Dame's Manti Te'o, the stories said, played this season under a terrible burden. A Mormon linebacker who led his Catholic school's football program back to glory, Te'o was whipsawed between personal tragedies along the way. In the span of six hours in September, as Sports Illustrated told it, Te'o learned first of the death of his grandmother, Annette Santiago, and then of the death of his girlfriend, Lennay Kekua.

Kekua, 22 years old, had been in a serious car accident in California, and then had been diagnosed with leukemia. SI's Pete Thamel described how Te'o would phone her in her hospital room and stay on the line with her as he slept through the night. "Her relatives told him that at her lowest points, as she fought to emerge from a coma, her breathing rate would increase at the sound of his voice," Thamel wrote.


Upon receiving the news of the two deaths, Te'o went out and led the Fighting Irish to a 20-3 upset of Michigan State, racking up 12 tackles. It was heartbreaking and inspirational. Te'o would appear on ESPN's College GameDay to talk about the letters Kekua had written him during her illness. He would send a heartfelt letter to the parents of a sick child, discussing his experience with disease and grief. The South Bend Tribune wrote an article describing the young couple's fairytale meeting—she, a Stanford student; he, a Notre Dame star—after a football game outside Palo Alto.


Did you enjoy the uplifiting story, the tale of a man who responded to adversity by becoming one of the top players of the game? If so, stop reading.


Manti Te'o did lose his grandmother this past fall. Annette Santiago died on Sept. 11, 2012, at the age of 72, according to Social Security Administration records in Nexis. But there is no SSA record there of the death of Lennay Marie Kekua, that day or any other. Her passing, recounted so many times in the national media, produces no obituary or funeral announcement in Nexis, and no mention in the Stanford student newspaper.


Nor is there any report of a severe auto accident involving a Lennay Kekua. Background checks turn up nothing. The Stanford registrar's office has no record that a Lennay Kekua ever enrolled. There is no record of her birth in the news. Outside of a few Twitter and Instagram accounts, there's no online evidence that Lennay Kekua ever existed.


The photographs identified as Kekua—in online tributes and on TV news reports—are pictures from the social-media accounts of a 22-year-old California woman who is not named Lennay Kekua. She is not a Stanford graduate; she has not been in a severe car accident; and she does not have leukemia. And she has never met Manti Te'o.






http://deadspin.com/5976517/manti-teos-d...socialflow

[Strikeout King]

Coley Harvey ‏@os_coleyharvey Oh RT @JJStankevitz Notre Dame statement says Te'o informed school on Dec. 26 about being the victim of a hoax. December 26. Wow.

[geauxtigers75]

If this would have came to light before all the awards were handed out he would have a pretty empty trophy case right now. Average linebacker drubbed up by ESPN because of a 'tragedy', typical.

[outdoorsman43]

Just when you think you've seen it all.

Why on earth did he even go through with all of this?

What was he trying to get out of making this situation up?

:lame::igiveup:

[baller4lyfe]

Just when you think you've seen it all.

Why on earth did he even go through with all of this?

What was he trying to get out of making this situation up?

:lame::igiveup:

More heisman votes

[Strikeout King]

I don't believe nothing Notre Dame or Manti says about this, If the coaches did indeed find out that he was a victim of a hoax on December 26th, why did they wait until just now to say something about it, I could understand if they wanted to wait until after the national championship game but it's been 10 days since that has took place. He knew all along what he was doing, he also knew who the guy was that was running his twitter account...

[Crossbones]

He would have never been in Heisman running without this story. This actually pisses me off. He used this story for votes and knew what was happening. Low life IMO. To wait this long before saying anything proves it.

[panther nation]

This was a total sham and we are expected to believe that he had nothing to do with it, please!! You know he was in on it from the get go... Totally unbelievable!!!! Why would someone create a hoax like this unless they were sick in the head.

[theVILLE]

Im gonna give the kid benifit of the doubt. However, wouldnt shock me a bit if it was true. If it is indeed a hoax and he went along with it. I lost all respect for the young man

[Crossbones]

I don't really understand what benefit of doubt you could give him. His family said she visited him in Hawaii several times and that they had met her and he even said he had a relationship with her and how she was such a giving person and this and that. That was in Sept. That was 4 months ago. After all the award where given out and all the stories published of how he went through such "tragedy" and just now saying something? He is a low life, if not for anything but letting it go this long.

[Crossbones]

Apparently their saying they have never met her now. I'll give to that. The brother of lie o said that she had been to Hawaii thou.

[Spirit100]

Pretty disturbing whether he was aware of it or not. Either way fabricating stories about someones death should result in some serious flogging in town square.

A pitiful display of human behavior!

[Stardust]

First Lance! Now Manti! I can't take all these frauds. What's next, Santa doesn't shimmy his fat butt down chimneys? Oh the humanity of it all..........

Sarcasm


I love it. We live in a world of scripted REALITY TV that people can't get enough of, and now we feal violated because we got duped? Its hilarous and its a hell of a lot better story now than when everybody felt sorry for him. If his NFL career doesn't pan out, I look forward to seeing him on his own MTV show - "The Not So REAL WORLD".

BAHAHAHA

[McCameraMan]

Wow

[outdoorsman43]

First Lance! Now Manti! I can't take all these frauds. What's next, Santa doesn't shimmy his fat butt down chimneys? Oh the humanity of it all..........

Sarcasm


I love it. We live in a world of scripted REALITY TV that people can't get enough of, and now we feal violated because we got duped? Its hilarous and its a hell of a lot better story now than when everybody felt sorry for him. If his NFL career doesn't pan out, I look forward to seeing him on his own MTV show - "The Not So REAL WORLD".

BAHAHAHA

Agreed.

This story itself is reality TV at it's finest. The most bizarre and hilarious story I have ever heard. Twitter is blowing up with some even more hilarious tweets about the situation.

[outdoorsman43]

I particularly like this from a thread in another forum I read:

"The real hoax to be investigated is how Notre Dame was the #1 team in America going into the National Championship game."

[outdoorsman43]

Apparently their saying they have never met her now. I'll give to that. The brother of lie o said that she had been to Hawaii thou.

Exactly. What Manti had said in earlier interviews were that she would come visit him when he was able to return home in Hawaii.

One interview in particular by ESPN's Gene Wojciechowski last October he proclaimed that she was "the most beautiful woman he had ever met" and "the love of his life". I don't think you can get either of those things from an "exclusively online relationship".

What a joke that Notre Dame is trying to cover this up for the kid. I wouldn't doubt if they instructed the kid to do the same. Pathetic.

I am so glad they are though because watching this story unfold will be a very interesting and hilarious one to follow. However it turns out, the kid will be the laughing stock of anyone that knows who he is. I can't wait to see what happens.

[outdoorsman43]

He would have never been in Heisman running without this story. This actually pisses me off. He used this story for votes and knew what was happening. Low life IMO. To wait this long before saying anything proves it.

Whaaaa? This kid hasn't missed a tackle all year!

:lmao:

[RunItUpTheGut]

:hilarious:


And my thoughts about the kids character is showing to be true now.
Ive sit back and read stories, not only on here, but other sites, of how this was the best kid of all time and he was so squeaky clean. That person doesnt exist. It never has. Everyone has problems, but some deal with it better than others.

I have a very hard time believing this kid didnt know anything about this. Why would a heisman candidate and star D1 college football player need to talk to a girl online? He had more catholic school girls after him then Joe Montana.

This has been a fun year. Keep em coming Notre Dame. Its really enjoyable.

[theVILLE]

This all just a sketchy situation! Cant wait to watch it unfold. As said in previous post if he knew about this and went along with it then I lose all respect for him. I will admit I was fooled by the story though, thought the kid had it rough with such a tragedy in his life. Regardless of the outcome we cant deny he was a heck of a player on the field though.

[Stardust]

Adrian Peterson, I apologize to you, but I must deem Manti Te'o as the #1 pick in the 2013 FANTASY FOOTBALL Draft!

[judgementday]

This story just blows my mind.

[Westside]

This is pretty bad. I think he and Notre Dame are very guilty. They should have come clean long ago. I have a feeling the only reason they are confessing now is because some media outlet had discovered this was a hoax. I also feel the media are to blame as well for this whole mess. They are constantly fabricating stories. I just wonder how many of these stories we never realize are made up.

[judgementday]

I don't know what to believe.....there was a story I read today which stated the fullback of the Cardinals and Troy Polumalu had met this girl before.

Apparently from what I have seen on Twitter, an announcement is being made today at Noon from Teo...

[sstack]

He had this "girlfriend" for 3 years! Yea,right, I do not believe it for a min. He had to be part of this. No way he goes 3 years without seeing the so called girlfriend face to face, no way he would not have gone to hospital or funeral if he had a 3 year relationship with her. Even if he is dumb as a box of rocks, you do not get on national TV and state your girlfriend died when you have never met the person face to face; How can you call someone a girlfriend who the only conection you have had with is through a keyboard? I like the rumor that he is gay and trying to cover it up, it makes you wonder! Like another poster stated, I am sure he had girls throwing themselves at him, can't see him settling for a keyboard relationship! Can't believe it took this long for the media to figure this out!

[the other guy]

OK a college kid makes up girlfriend, thats not news. I seen an interview with this kid back when this first came out and I remember thinking that the reporter was making a lot more out of it than teo wanted to.

Boy makes up girlfriend
Decides to end the story
Should have told people they broke up, but instead tells she dies
The next day it is on ESPN how this tragedy is effecting this young man
The boy is caught up in a mess and goes along with it

If one reporter had done his job instead of trying to promote anything Norte Dame at any cost this would not have happen.

Teo's biggest problem is when he played against a real team in Alabama he looked like crap. Not a first round pick for me

[Stardust]

This would NEVER happen in an SEC School. Our football players have REAL Girlfriends.....

[Image: http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/mp/Vzwv2Jn8Jl2m.jpg]

[judgementday]

This would NEVER happen in an SEC School. Our football players have REAL Girlfriends.....

[Image: http://www1.pictures.zimbio.com/mp/Vzwv2Jn8Jl2m.jpg]

You think you would have chosen this couple....

[Image: http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w122/...3a1e15.jpg]

[toussaints]

Oprah must be pissed

nobody is perfect, this is very embarrassing for Te'o, but atleast it was over an imaginary friend. Rudy ripped people off.

This has been a bad winter for Mormons, Romney loses, Manti's fake gf, and crappy BYU football

[Crossbones]

This is how Lie o meet his girlfriend.

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a78/nur...Online.gif