Manti Te’o: Lennay Kekua Hoax Won’t Hurt Draft Stock

Manti Te’o is currently at the NFL scouting combine with the hopes of earning a high draft pick. But before the Notre Dame linebacker could focus on his football future he had to answer some questions about his personal past.

Manti Te’o, who became the center of a media circus when it was revealed that the story about his dead girlfriend was a hoax, was expected to be drafted in the first round of the NFL draft. After the hoax, however, many speculated that the Notre Dame linebacker would have a hard time finding a team.

Te’o, however, said that he’s been given no indication that his stock has dropped.

Te’o said:

“They’ve told me that they’ve all just wanted to hear from me what the truth was. They haven’t really said anything about it affecting me…. (One team and I) briefly described it for 30 seconds and the next 14 minutes was about plays and getting down to business.”

The hoax may not hurt his draft stock but it has hurt his image. A report released last month named Manti Te’o as one of the 10 most hated athletes in the country. Of course, the hoax has also increased Manti Te’o’s exposure and may actually make him a more valuable commodity for an NFL team.

NFL.com reports that Manti Te’o has interviewed with the Houston Texans, the Green Bay Packers, and the Chicago Bears. He is scheduled to meet with 17 other teams in the near future.

Do you think the Lennay Kekua hoax will hurt Manti Te’o’s draft stock?