The truth behind the Manti Te’o story is clear to me —- the young man got duped.  My husband and I are in disagreement on this, and there are good grounds for his cynicism, but I truly believe this young man got played.  We look at these great college athletes as though they are super gods but they, at the heart of it, are still only boys learning to be men.  Imagine what Te’o has been through — the embarassment, the humiliation, the anger —- all this festering while he is preparing for and playing the most important game of his life, to date.  I watched the Notre Dame/Alabama BCS National Championship game and it was the most lackluster performance by a team in a long time.  But imagine having to play the most important game of your life while knowing that you are the biggest dupe in years.  Talk about a confidence crushing experience.  No wonder he was so off his game that day.

I believe the website “Deadspin” and its “journalists” jumped the gun in insinuating Te’o was in on the fraud —- I may be proven wrong but it won’t be the first time.  I will stand my ground and continue my hope that Te’o’s future is much brighter than his recent past.

Post Script-three months after I published this post, Vanity Fair did an article on this sad saga. Follow the link to  Manti Teo in Vanity Fair