Manti Te’o is famous for his football career. However, he also made it to the headlines for some weird reasons. Read this article to know more about his lifestyle, controversies, early life, net worth, and more.
Manti Te’o Profile
- Name: Manti Te’o
- Date of Birth: 26th January 1991
- Age: 31 years old
- Height: 6ft
- Gender: Male
- Net Worth: $3.5 Million
- Relationship Status: Married
Who is Manti Te’o?
Manti Te’o is a famous American football star who played at the College of Notre Dame. He is a star player who received several awards for his consensus in the game. Moreover, he is also a former runner-up for the Heisman trophy.
Suddenly, he became the center of the media’s massive attention. It happened after the news report by Deadspin.
In 2012, he became the victim of a catfishing scandal. Naya Tuiasosopo, a person who made a fake account with whom Manti entered a relationship. He impersonated a fake personality with the fake name of Lennay Kekua. His girlfriend, who supposedly died from leukemia, didn’t exist in the real world.
Help us wish @mteo50 a very #HappyBirthday! #boltup #chargers pic.twitter.com/zRyiTpLfZ6
— SD Smoker Grills (@sdsmokergrills) January 26, 2015
Manti Te’o Career
He was an American football player at the College of Notre Dame from 2009 to 2012. From there, he started his professional career. In the 2nd round of the NFL 2013 season, San Diego Chargers selected him as an inside linebacker.
In May 2013, he signed a four-year contract with the Chargers. From this moment till 2016, he played for the Chargers.
In March 2017, he signed a two-year contract with New Orleans Saints. Also, in 2018, he suffered from an injury. He almost didn’t play till 2019. New Orleans re-signed Manti in 2019.
In October 2020, Chicago Bears signed him for their practice squad. Moreover, in January 2021, his contract expired. Manti hasn’t played in the NFL since 2021 till now. His NFL career is almost over, but he can make a comeback.
Manti Te’o Awards
Te’o has been awarded eight times in his 8-year career. Here’s the list of his awards.
- Maxwell Award
- Lott Trophy
- Chuck Bednarik Award
- Walter Camp Award
- Bronko Nagurski Trophy
- Butkus Award
- Lombardi Award
- Unanimous All-American
Manti Te’o Catfish Scandal
Te’o is mainly known for being a victim of catfishing incidents during his college years. He came into an online relationship with a person calling himself Lennay Kekua.
According to Manti’s thinking, Kekua died because of leukemia. But it was revealed by Deadspin that she didn’t exist in the real world.
Who Catfished Manti Te’o?
A transgender person named Naya Tuiasosopo was the culprit behind the fake account of Kekua. He made an account and started chatting online with Manti.
Naya also grouped with some other people and made Manti believe that Kekua was no more. The star athlete received massive attention after this scandal.
Manti Te’o Netflix
Te’o documentary was released officially on Netflix in August 2022. It is based on the story of his catfishing scandal.
The documentary Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist was named the 2nd most-watched movie on Netflix on 17th August 2022.
Lebron James Manti Te’o
Many famous people commented on the Manti Te’o documentary. A famous American football player made a tweet on 28 Aug 2022. He raised his voice in support of Manti. Also, he mentioned the hard times that Manti has faced are difficult to recover from.
The documentary shows the highlights of Manti Te’o stats, career and catfishing incident, etc.
Manti Te’o Net Worth
Information on Manti Te’o net worth is given below.
Te’o Career Earnings
In his NFL career, He earned almost 10 million dollars. During his contract with the New Orleans Saints, he made 1.8 million dollars.
The Chargers paid Manti about 5 million dollars in a 4-year contract. He lost about 3 million dollars because of the catfishing scandal.
After eight seasons in the NFL. He had been paid $10,424,620 as his career earnings.
What Does Manti Te’o Do Now?
After the end of Manti Te’o NFL career, he is busy with his personal life. He played his last NFL match was played in January 2021.
Manti Te’o Instagram
You can see Manti To latest updates on his Instagram account. Here’s the account: @mteo50.
View this post on Instagram
Frequently Asked Questions – (FAQs)
Does Manti Still Play?
No. He is currently not on the road of the NFL. However, his comeback is possible next season, but he has not commented on his comeback.
How Many Years Did Manti Play in The NFL?
He played for almost eight years in the NFL. Three different teams have selected him in 8 seasons.
Did Manti Te’o Win The Heisman?
Unfortunately, he didn’t win the Heisman trophy. He was just a nominee for the Heisman trophy in 2012. Johnny Manziel won it.
How Much Did Netflix Pay Manti Te’o?
For the documentary on Manti Te’o, Netflix paid him more than 10 million dollars. The film earned many views just after its release.
Who is Manti Te’o Wife?
He is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ in Saints. In February 2020, he married his girlfriend, Nicole Engbino. She is a fitness trainer and beauty consultant.
The couple married in California on 29 August 2020. They were blessed with a daughter, Hiro Te’o, on 12 August 2021.
Read more:- DAREZ DIGGS
Did Manti Te’o Get Paid For a Netflix Documentary?
Yes. The Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist is a documentary on the catfishing scandal of Manti Te’o. Netflix paid him for this documentary.
Does Manti Play Professional Football?
Yes. He played professional American football for eight years.
Where is Manti Now in 2022?
Manti is now leading his life away from the spotlight and giving time to his family. He recently joined Transcend, a telehealth provider company that joins famous athletes.
Conclusion
Manti Te’o was shocked when he found out about the fake girlfriend scandal. However, now he has got his true love. The couple is now happy with their two kids. This article states all the relevant information about his lifestyle, career, net worth, girlfriend, and Netflix documentary of Manti.
Follow his Instagram account to get updated with relevant information about this star athlete.