Manti Te’o is an American football player. He was born on January 26, 1991, in Laie, Hawaii, and is of Samoan descent.
He attended Notre Dame and became one of the most decorated linebackers in college history. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in 2013.
He was a linebacker for the San Diego Chargers
A former high school football player, manti te’o was picked by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2013 NFL draft. He spent his first four years with the club before he was traded to the New Orleans Saints in 2017.
A highly decorated college football player, Te’o won the 2012 Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the collegiate Butkus Award and the Lombardi Award. He was also named a National Scholar-Athlete by the National Football Foundation.
He was a two-time Gatorade State Player of the Year and a two-time all-state and state defensive player of the year. He led Punahou (Laie, HI) to the school’s first state title as a senior.
At the start of 2013, he was one of the most highly-publicized athletes in America. But when he was caught catfishing online with a woman named Lennay Kekua, who was faked by Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, the attention turned from sports to a broader scandal.
He was a linebacker for the New Orleans Saints
After graduating from high school, Te’o was considered to be one of the most promising recruits and a top player in the state of Hawaii. He became an all-state player and was named to multiple all-conference teams in his final season at Punahou.
He was a Heisman finalist and one of the best defensive players in college football history. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft, and spent four seasons there before joining the New Orleans Saints.
While he was in New Orleans, Te’o earned a net worth of $5.5 million. He is now a free agent, married to fitness influencer Jovi Nicole Engbino, and expecting their second child.
He was a linebacker for the Chicago Bears
Manti Te’o is a Samoan-Hawaiian football player who played for the Chicago Bears. He started 48 games and suited up for 62 total contests in his NFL career.
The former linebacker made his professional debut in 2013 for the San Diego Chargers and then played three seasons for the New Orleans Saints before signing with the Bears in 2020. He has 307 tackles, 22 for loss and 13 pass breakups during his career.
He joined the practice squad in October, and then he was promoted to the active roster in December when star Roquan Smith suffered an elbow injury against the Green Bay Packers. He hasn’t made an appearance since, but he appeared in Sunday’s game against the Saints and started at inside linebacker.
As a member of the Irish, Te’o was named Heisman runner-up and helped Notre Dame to an undefeated season. Fueled by the death of his grandmother and girlfriend Lennay Kekua, who he claimed died of leukemia on the same day he did, Te’o persevered through the pain to help Notre Dame win the 2012 championship game. But when a bombshell report from Deadspin revealed that Kekua never existed, Te’o’s world came crashing down.
He was a linebacker for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish
When he was a college player, manti te’o was one of the most talented linebackers in the country. He starred for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during his four years there, and he left the school as a legend.
Despite the fact that he was a superstar on the field, Te’o has always been known for one of the strangest stories in sports history. He was a victim of catfishing while he was enrolled at Notre Dame, and it was revealed that his girlfriend Lennay Kekua did not exist.
Eventually, the story was exposed and he was arrested for catfishing, but it’s still an embarrassing thing to happen to a football player. And it’s sad that this happened to a Notre Dame player.
