Te'o Doesn't Think Hoax Will Hurt Him

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Manti Te'o told USA Today on Monday that he doesn't believe the online hoax that fooled him will affect his stock in the upcoming NFL draft.

The former Notre Dame linebacker also said he has shut down his Twitter account and isn't sure if he will ever use social media again.

Te'o has only granted a couple of interviews since he acknowledged falling in love with a nonexistent woman invented by another man who insists the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy was unaware of the scam during the online relationship.

The NFL combine begins Wednesday in Indianapolis, and Te'o is certain to face a lot of questions from teams wanting to know more about how he was drawn into the bizarre hoax that made national headlines.

"I have to just go out there and perform and all that other stuff is behind me," he told USA Today. "What I did on the field is what I did on the field. I don't think what I did with this whole situation, I don't understand how it takes away from what I did on the field.

"As far as my stock dropping or rising, that's not up to me. The only thing I have to do is just do well, run fast, just be myself, be quick."

Te'o, who has been training in Florida, also told the newspaper he isn't dating anyone and remains the same person he was before he found out about the scam.

"My trust in people is the same," he said. "I'm just more cautious."

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