Te’o Releases Statement: What Does It Mean?

Dillon Cheverere12 years ago

Manti Te’o responds to the Deadspin exposé, revealing that his highly publicized relationship with now-deceased girlfriend was a hoax:

This is incredibly embarrassing to talk about, but over an extended period of time, I developed an emotional relationship with a woman I met online. We maintained what I thought to be an authentic relationship by communicating frequently online and on the phone, and I grew to care deeply about her.

To realize that I was the victim of what was apparently someone’s sick joke and constant lies was, and is, painful and humiliating. It further pains me that the grief I felt and the sympathies expressed to me at the time of my grandmother’s death in September were in any way deepened by what I believed to be another significant loss in my life.

I am enormously grateful for the support of my family, friends and Notre Dame fans throughout this year. To think that I shared with them my happiness about my relationship and details that I thought to be true about her just makes me sick.

I hope that people can understand how trying and confusing this whole experience has been. In retrospect, I obviously should have been much more cautious. If anything good comes of this, I hope it is that others will be far more guarded when they engage with people online than I was. Fortunately, I have many wonderful things in my life, and I’m looking forward to putting this painful experience behind me as I focus on preparing for the NFL Draft.

He had to play one of two cards. Card 1: biggest dumbass in America, or Card 2: biggest dirtbag in America. Card 1 was the safer play. He went with it. And after sifting through and cleaning off as much of the chest-high bullshit as I could, here is my translation of Mr. Te’o’s statement:

“FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKK…..

Please still draft me in the first round.”

This story is an all-timer, guys.

[via Deadspin]

Image via Bleacher Report