After a standout career at Notre Dame and 62 games in the NFL, Manti Te’o is officially hanging up his cleats and shifting his focus.
“I’m playing a different game now,” the linebacker told TMZ Sports over the weekend. “I’m trying to empower people. Trying to inspire people. That’s the game that I’m playing now, and I’m trying to be the best at that.”
Te’o was a second-round pick of the San Diego Chargers following four-year career with the Fighting Irish, where an unfortunate incident involving an online catfish led to the Hawaii-born football star being known more for his off-field life than what he brought to the table as a unanimous All-American selection on defense.
Manti Te’o Says He’s Done With Football, ‘Playing A Different Game Now’ https://t.co/2gPIMwNUCq
— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) June 3, 2023
The story was recently detailed in a Netflix documentary entitled “Untold: The Girlfriend That Didn’t Exist” where fans got to hear both sides of the story for the very first time.
Te’o hasn’t played in a professional football game since 2019, but he seems more than happy to devote his time to help others get through their struggles.
Telling TMZ, “If my life can be that for people—to show people that, ‘Hey, it may not be sunshine and roses all the time, but if you just keep your head down and keep working and believing in yourself and putting God first, everything will be all right.'”