It’s been 10 years since Notre Dame star linebacker Manti Te’o’s infamous catfishing incident and two years since he last appeared in an NFL football game, but it doesn’t sound like Te’o has any plans to return to the gridiron anytime soon.
While walking his dog earlier this week, Te’o was asked by paparazzi whether or not he was working towards an NFL comeback. Te’o didn’t rule it out, but he also made it quite clear that’s not his ultimate goal.
“That’s not the most important thing on my mind right now,” Te’o said, according to Fox News.
Te’o had one of the most accomplished seasons in college football history in 2012, winning the Maxwell Award, the Lott Trophy, the Chuck Bednarik Award, the Walter Camp Award, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, the Butkus Award, and the Lombardi Award. He was also a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
Following his storied Notre Dame career, Te’o was drafted by the San Diego Chargers and spent eight seasons in the NFL, also playing for the New Orleans Saints and briefly for the Chicago Bears.
But even though he has no plans to return to the field, Te’o is happy with his life.
“Life is good, I had an eight-year career,” Te’o said. “Just being a dad, I have a beautiful daughter, a son on the way. I got my pup here. My wife is doing well with her businesses. I’m just a family man, man.”
Te’o was the subject of a recent Netflix documentary that detailed the now-infamous catfishing incident from 2012. Since the documentary’s release, he’s opened up about the situation more than he ever has in the past.
[Fox News]