Manti Te'o is doing his best to move on from the past month.
NFL Combine 2013: Manti Te’o addresses Lennay Kekua, talks football too
Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o met with the media at the NFL Combine, and addressed a wide array of questions regarding Lennay Kekua.
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Speaking at a press conference at the NFL Combine, the Notre Dame linebacker told reporters he’s said all he “needed to say” regarding Lennay Kekua and the subsequent fallout. Despite his proclamation, Te’o answered questions from reporters regarding the Kekua story throughout the press conference -- and had no issue doing so.
Though Te’o remains focused on football and improving his draft stock, he acknowledged that teams have, can, and will ask him about the Kekua incident.
“Quite a few teams have asked me about it,” Te’o said. “NFL teams want to trust somebody, they don’t want to invest in a player they can’t trust.”
Notre Dame’s Heisman finalist was asked what the facts are regarding Kekua, and the linebacker was quite blunt.
“I cared for somebody -- that’s what I was taught to do. When somebody needs help, you help them out. Unfortunately, it didn’t end up the way I thought it would,” Te’o said.
Many wondered at the time the story broke, and continue to wonder, why Te’o never attempted to meet Kekua in person. Te’o confirmed that he “made plans” to see Kekua, but “obviously, it didn’t work out.”
Te’o noted that the most difficult part of the Kekua story wasn’t the embarrassment that he brought to himself -- it’s what he did to his family. Te’o recalled receiving a phone call from his sister, detailing the media camped outside his parents’ house.
Even though Te’o has been heavily scrutinized in the last month, he doesn’t believe the Kekua story has impacted his draft stock, and no NFL team has told him otherwise to this point.
Asked if he’ll take legal action against Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, Te’o responded quickly and swiftly, saying no, “that’s that worst thing I could do,” noting that both families have gone through enough.
While much of the press conference was centered on the Kekua scandal, Te'o did receive a slew of football-related questions. Te'o revealed that he has already met with the Houston Texans and Green Bay Packers, and plans to meet with an additional 18 teams.
Many draftniks speculate that Te'o could be selected by the Baltimore Ravens with the No. 32 overall pick. Te'o was asked about what it would be like to play for the Ravens, and replied by saying he grew up watching Ray Lewis and loved the two-time Super Bowl champion's passion and intensity for the game. Te'o believes it would be "an honor" to replace Lewis in Baltimore.
As a football player, Te’o is expecting the NFL to be “faster and more complex” than college ball. Te’o believes he can be successful at the next level, and has told teams that he brings “heart and energy” to the table.
Te’o appeared comfortable throughout the press conference, answering a wide range of questions regarding football and Kekua. It appears that Te’o has indeed moved on from the scandal, and is ready to be all football going forward.
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