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Manti Te'o came out of 'spiral,' is now at peace with Saints

Mike Triplett
ESPN Staff Writer



METAIRIE, La. -- Manti Te'o said he has found peace this season as he returns from a torn Achilles with a new team, a fresh start, "a new me." And the New Orleans Saints linebacker credits his faith in God and the love of his little sister, Eden, among others for helping him reach this point.

But it wasn't easy. Not by a long shot.

Te'o, 26, admitted that the injury sent him "down a spiral" emotionally and spiritually at first -- especially because of the timing in Week 3 of a "huge season."

Te'o felt great last summer, heading into his fourth season with the Chargers. He was a team captain, was playing his best football and was heading into a contract year.

He also said he had finally moved past the fake-girlfriend scandal that enveloped him when he first entered the NFL in 2013 after starring at Notre Dame.

"You know, that was something that I had to get over. And it lingered for years," said Te'o, who became infamous as the victim of a "catfishing" hoax in which he believed he had a long-distance girlfriend who died of leukemia before it was revealed that she didn't exist.

"And that was why Year 4 in the NFL was such a big year, because it was the first year that I felt that I was free," Te'o said. "And I felt great. And I was just playing the way I wanted to play. And then another adverse situation came along.

"And I think a lot of people look at adversity and they shy away from it or they look at it as a thing that's too hard. But I've learned through all my times of adversity that it makes me and molds me into the man that I need to be. And I'm grateful for it. Because without it, I wouldn't be as appreciative of the things that I do have now.

"I was appreciative -- I thought I was. Everybody thinks they are until it's gone. Then you really learn to appreciate it."

Te'o has now found himself in a place he's never been in New Orleans: under the radar.

The 6-foot-1, 241-pounder has worked primarily as the starting middle linebacker so far in training camp, though he comes off the field in passing situations and likely will cede the signal-calling role to fellow newcomer A.J. Klein. Te'o is not even a lock to make the roster ...

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“The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” — Winston Churchill