Manti Te'o addresses speculation of NFL return - “Trying to be the best at that” 

Manti Te'o and his football career was one of the best in college football and he found some success in the NFL too. The linebacker was asked by TMZ Sports if he's looking to play in the league again once again, at age 32. Te'o made it clear that he wants to turn the page on that chapter of his life.

The former Notre Dame star noted that he now wants to make a difference off the field:

"I'm playing a different game now. I'm trying to empower people. Trying to inspire people. That's the game that I'm playing now, and I'm trying to be the best at that."

While at Notre Dame, Manti Te'o found himself in the headlines about being caught up in a catfishing scandal in 2013. It started with his girlfriend, 'Lennay Kekua', whom he met online, and who supposedly passed away due to cancer. It came just hours after his grandmother passed away.

However, it was later uncovered that Kekua wasn't real and never died. The then-Fighting Irish linebacker addressed the matter, claiming he was the victim of a hoax and was catfished:

"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."

Last August, Netflix released a documentary titled 'The Girlfriend who Didn't Exist' as part of their Untold series recounting bizarre tales. Te'o made his return to Notre Dame last September almost a decade after the catfish incident.

---

How long did Manti Te'o play in the NFL?

The linebacker played a total of eight seasons in the league for three different teams. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the second round of the 2013 draft, playing four seasons with them.

He then joined the New Orleans Saints for three seasons before playing his last season with the Chicago Bears in 2020. In all, he had 307 tackles, two interceptions, and 1.5 sacks in 62 career NFL games.

---

If you use any of the above quotes, please credit TMZ Sports and H/T Sportskeeda.