After waiting throughout the first round for his phone to ring, Manti Te’o finally got a call early in the second round. And it wasn’t from Ronaiah Tuiasosopo.
Instead, it was the San Diego Chargers, letting him know that they had selected him with the 38th overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft.
Te’o, the former Notre Dame star whose reputation took a hit when it was revealed that the dead girlfriend he claimed to be playing for during his senior season was nothing but a hoax, will now try to put that unfortunate part of his life behind him and focus on what he can do on the football field.
And what Te’o does on the field is substantial: Although he had a disappointing performance in the national championship game against Alabama, he was a Heisman Trophy finalist last year because he’s a strong, instinctive player who has a reputation as a hard worker and a tough run stopper. He should be able to start for the Chargers as a rookie.