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The tangled quest for the truth in Te'o girlfried hoax

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    Is Manti Te'o a victim or a participant in the bizarre scandal?

  • Duration 11:14
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-- just minutes away but first anti mania Notre Dame football star and anti -- at the center -- a big hoax.

-- is -- behind the hoax president victim of it tonight.

A teammate calling him a liar and a very good actor.

The Notre Dame -- spoke with sports reporter Jacki pepper pepper on sports dot com.

She joins us with the latest and other latest facts in this developing story and Jack before we get to your conversations with teammates.

Him.

I'm curious set the stage.

What are the facts as we know -- tonight.

Well that's the facts are so convoluted at such a long.

Deep rabbit hole where this story comes from so the quick version is that here you have -- -- -- star linebacker Notre Dame.

Goes on to come in second place and Heisman Trophy ballots.

He had this girlfriend who he allegedly -- a few years ago she allegedly was diagnosed with leukemia and -- kind of rode this wave of this tragic love story that happened to coincide.

On the same day as his grandmother died allegedly.

This fictitious girlfriend.

Also passed away the media jumped all over that he was crying on the sideline lane have a big upset win over Michigan State back in September.

-- Michigan State was ranked tenth at the time and the story took off from -- -- that has you know Notre Dame went on.

To play against Alabama for the BCS championship so the story have a life of its own and now -- -- dad's been has revealed in a pretty fantastic Axl Rose.

This woman never existed.

She never went to Stanford she never graduated from there -- -- live where she said she lived she.

Is not a real person she's -- made up character in this whole fairy -- OK you spoken to some of his -- teammates what are they saying tonight.

Well I'll one of the teammates I spoke way if sad day he knew something was fishy -- right after that Michigan State game.

He said that it was just too big of a coincidence that here you have.

The grandmother and this fictitious girlfriend both passing away on the same day knew it was like.

You couldn't write it any batter it was that kind of situation and he's sad that the players talked amongst themselves and -- questions.

The validity of the story but he said that nobody confronted -- Which is pretty interesting that he was the team leader he was the face of the program a senior so I I can imagine now would be a difficult thing.

To do but he said that.

Although he says -- -- lied he said that he thinks he did it because the media grabbed on to this lie and then he felt like.

He had to probably keep going with that but the interesting thing -- dad's been revealed in their article.

They found the person behind this fictitious accounts and this young man is apparently a friend of -- high -- I was.

And he allegedly has a history and using this phony cover.

On social media to talk with different people including other athletes so we're seeing that there is a huge conspiracy here.

And now the question is how deep was an anti involved and did he know about -- this player seems to think he was originally -- By this fake online accounts but that he figured it out at some point and then couldn't get out of the -- -- just kept going with it for the attention.

He's -- anti and well liked him on his teammates and in some teammates are in our heroes -- teammates of course -- came in second in the Heisman a very successful athlete.

Or busy busy one -- -- particularly care for.

I in the last few months I've talked says several Notre Dame players and I asked a number of them.

About man's -- character and I asked is the image we're seeing is that real because Greta you know as a journalist as a reporter.

A lot of what you see is not really what she -- there -- a lot of PR machines and stand and it's easy to kind of play a role when you're in the public -- so I asked them.

And I was told he was the real deal that he was a standup guy.

So I it.

People are complex I guess you can be both you can.

Get yourself deep into something that maybe don't know how to get out of and still be a good person at your Corvette there is a lot -- to learn about the situation it's going to be a pretty incredible story I think.

Is there any actual proof to tie him into the hoax has been one of the architects and not be duped by the hoax.

Food and architect is an interesting word I in the dad's been peace and bailing out this massive timeline.

Which shows in many many contradictions from the anti himself.

Here's -- really the most interesting thing I think about this.

His own father.

Was on the record in various publications saying this is when my -- met this girl she came to Hawaii several times while our son was home to spend time with him.

We were supposed to meet this girl so was the father in on this was he just going along with what his son.

Had told him it's very hard to know but if you.

Look at the timeline of things it is clear that at some point.

Anti detailed some contradicted himself all over the place so he either was -- -- -- from the beginning or he at some point in the process.

Learned what was going on -- kept going and kept perpetuating the lie.

I think what audiences that talk about one of the article is at December 6 I think is when he said that he became aware of the folks and I think -- on December -- he was he was perpetrated by talking about it again about his -- girlfriend two days later.

Yet.

I saw that as well and -- just want and then here's the problem when you tell one why.

People will -- your credibility he had sat it from the very beginning which this teammate also told me.

Quote we knew he had met her once so he's sad that he met this woman in person after a football game in 2009 at Stanford University.

That was a lie even based on Notre Dame statement and the statement that I'm anti -- put out saying.

This was strictly an online relationship so just tell one -- Really hurts his credibility you know a lot of people date on the Internet and they don't even tell their own families about it I think a lot of people are still embarrassed -- Just the one live from the beginning I think could really hurt him assuming he wasn't -- on it from the beginning it's going to be very hard I find for him to be believable -- what he.

Gives us a real legitimate proof.

Jacki thank you.

You're welcome banks and other man -- tail was in on the -- -- is truly a victim will be uproar over the giant -- heard his football future does he still have shot a shot at the NFL.

Brian Billick is the former Super Bowl winning head coach of the Baltimore Ravens enough fox football -- he joins -- nice to see coat.

This man.

Okay -- I confessed tonight I have a -- -- sympathy for this young man because of his age what have we would -- up his eyeballs at least that's the thing was -- young man but I'm curious.

As -- -- -- this will this have an impact on how he fares and getting into the end up now.

I'm not likely based on what we know now and obviously this is changing almost an hourly basis.

But when you look right now -- -- Hal is based on most people -- -- to.

Clearly a top fifty -- may be in the top ten pick.

And to think that this is going to change that status obviously when players at seasons and credible enough scrutiny.

All of these players between now and draft.

And there's going to be number of teams are gonna wanna spent a lot of time which meant I -- About this get a better understanding of what happened.

But when you look at the landscape.

Columbia players -- -- -- the NFL between now and April the end of April when draft.

Regrettably there's going to be any number of players that there's going to be drug allocations failing a drug tests.

Possible -- -- that are found out illegal altercation any number of things that will come out about young people.

Will engage in those types of things and so when you look at all this made about anti terror is really had a pain compared to some of the other things that it will come out about other athletes that seriously we're concerned I don't know club so.

I don't see this is.

-- and -- -- -- players like you and Michael Vick who after playing in the NFL got himself and a mess as well as some other players.

At lax over rice another one so it -- a lot of players have gotten -- doesn't count.

I'm curious -- -- that when you look at the full complement of young players out there and is an awful lot of talent.

If one has a little bit of approach the problem I assume that the -- -- it considers whether or not it's just serve up fleeting thing or whether it's been in fact the whole team over time.

Well certainly when you talk about young people so anytime you're talking about transition beauty outside and keep in mind he's closed process.

There look at these young men I die because they basically become partners because you're gonna get into giving millions of dollars of these players that you know are they going to be good par.

He also recognizing young people are going to be enough people do stupid things -- So you have to ask yourself whatever has gone -- in a young person's life to this point.

Is it isn't it's -- their character do you worry about that.

Or just young people doing stupid things may be stupid mistakes like we all -- when you -- -- so that's that's really what you try to focus on.

I think column by which happens Indianapolis you'll have fifteen minutes to stand.

Officially with each of these athletes but there's hours upon hours upon hours that tape -- from -- training staff your coaching staff.

Were you mean that these players in her.

-- all colleges in our homes down where they -- to find out if you can kind of -- whose sole Q well.

In the eyes these players because they clearly -- going to be -- you're partners you wanna get a sense of what their characters about.

And if nothing else do you do bring -- on your seat whatever issues and a half how -- helped -- transition to a very public.

-- What can sometimes be an overwhelming -- communal well.

How good is he really is as a linebacker -- a finalist for the Heisman it -- as an extraordinary.

And talented young man but.

It is he that good.

He's outstanding when you're talking about B.

You know my top ten pick not top fifty secret and top point it anywhere in the first round you're talking about -- and lead after week.

That eighty club that wraps him in the first round will kind of tapped him as their franchise player at least this year's draft so yeah unleashed on tape and and based on the conversations -- her outside -- this incidence.

Both on the field and on the field.

He is an exemplary -- there's never been an issue brought.

And I'm aware that people don't like this guys just not a stellar ask people on and off the field.

Okay what I mean to British on Sunday night around four year old Baltimore Ravens and did you see by the waist deep black goes up.

Blood his pass in the last 31 seconds so last week.

Yeah and it was an incredible we did you know it's yeah usual the other I don't know what network that we can -- my -- my hands -- -- -- score 3028 I won't tell you 32020.

It.

But debt -- -- sentiment does amazing pat many who would have guessed that that the last 31 seconds -- -- go into a double overtime and that ravens is a phenomenal game.

Yeah it's amazing sometimes you look at the safeties -- you just -- -- -- back up.

Because clearly that's the ratings game but that's what the NFL about got a great weekend I think it's going to be a great weekend coming up.

I was at this point for me an owner of one share the Green Bay Packers but it's onward to the next season and I'll watch out watch the rest of the season and a endeavor for everybody and it -- thank you.

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