By Tyler Park ’14, Staff Writer

Throughout this year’s college football season, Manti Te’o was one of the game’s most compelling figures.  A star linebacker at Notre Dame, and a potential NFL first-round draft pick, Te’o inspired many by playing at a high level even in the wake of the deaths of his grandmother, Annette Santiago, and girlfriend, Lennay Kekua.  Te’o built a strong Heisman campaign based around his play, inspirational story, and perceived character, eventually finishing second in the voting.  In Notre Dame’s first home game following the deaths of his grandmother and girlfriend, Te’o recorded 12 tackles and two interceptions in a 13-6 win over Michigan, as thousands of Notre Dame fans, including Newark Academy’s own Zach Persing ’15, wore leis, paying homage to Te’o and his Hawaiian background.

However, it has recently been discovered that Lennay Kekua never existed, and that she was an online personality created by Ronaiah Tuiasososopo, a friend of Te’o’s.  The backlash was immediate, as Te’o was not only the subject of thousands of jokes, but also of much suspicion. Te’o, Notre Dame, and Tuiasosopo all maintain that Te’o was merely the victim in an elaborate hoax, and that he legitimately believed that he had a romantic connection with the nonexistent Kekua, with whom he talked on the phone every night.  As details have surfaced over the past few weeks, it has been discovered first that Tuiasosopo, using a falsetto voice, was the person who spoke to Te’o all those nights on the phone.  Tuiasosopo has recently revealed that he developed romantic feelings for Te’o, who has said that he realized that something was amiss with his relationship in December 2012, but was scared and confused to reveal what he knew.  It will likely never be known exactly how much Te’o knew about Kekua, or whether he was at all involved in the hoax.  But what we do know is that Manti Te’o is not who we thought he was.

Opinions on Te’o and the nonexistent Lennay Kekua are mixed. Persing, a Notre Dame fan who wore a Te’o jersey on the day after the story broke, said “While Manti was clearly naïve, there has been no evidence to suggest that he played any part in the hoax whatsoever. The fact that Te’o was forthcoming in his interviews made it even easier to stand by his side.” Nick Lawler ’13, a linebacker on the Minutemen football has also maintained trust. “I believe him, and I believed him from the beginning,” he said. However, many still express disappointment in Te’o, and suspicion over the entire situation.  “I was disappointed to see a high-profile athlete concealing information to skew his public perception,” said Lauren Whelan ’14. Former Sports Editor for The Minuteman, and Notre Dame football fan Ethan Andrzejewski ’13 feels “Te’o should’ve been honest about the hoax as soon as he learned of it. I think he was dishonest in an attempt to maintain his reputation and maximize the attention he was getting. That is wrong.”

This story shows a growing trend in America. Athletes undoubtedly feel enormous pressure from the public.  Stars like Te’o are constantly in the public eye, receiving adulation from millions across the nation.  Te’o even admitted that he basked in the inspiration that people took from him.  Even when he realized that something was amiss with Kekua, he didn’t want to sacrifice the inspirational image that made him a star nationwide by revealing his knowledge. “He was just embarrassed by the whole situation, and he didn’t want to come out with what he knew.  If Te’o was a normal guy, it would have been easier for him to announce it right away, but because he is in the national spotlight, it would have been very embarrassing,” said sports blogger Cory Tell ’14.  “I think there’s definitely pressure on athletes, especially stars,” said Lawler.  “I think he was just very embarrassed.”

Men’s college football is a multi-billion dollar industry.  With millions of people watching his games, and even more examining his every move, Manti Te’o felt enormous pressure to maintain his reputation, even if that meant concealing the truth.  “In the age of technology, an athlete can never go without being scrutinized. This pressure can make life very difficult for the athlete today,” said Persing.  The Manti Te’o saga, and its backlash, shows how star athletes, just like any of us, can be prone to mistakes, and can sometimes succumb to pressure.  Under the microscope of modern America, these men and women cannot be expected to be perfect.  Thus, as a nation, we should not forget: Athletes are people too.