I have been confused listening to the convoluted stories of the ND football player since fall. Throughout the seemingly ridiculous release of first one crazy related story and another I have wondered about the actual education of this young man. How was his actual work toward a college degree faring? I seemed to remember hearing something early pertaining to his classwork but that part of the story faded early in favor of the more seemingly "sensational"
parts that the press would rather hear and publish. I searched the internet and ran up on the following:
Classroom
Te’o has excelled in the classroom as his grade-point average has been well above 3.0 his entire career at Notre Dame. In 2011, he was named a second-team Academic All-American, becoming the 56th selection in Notre Dame football history. Following the 2011 season, Te’o was selected the football team’s recipient of the Rockne student-athlete of the year. He is on pace to graduate this December from Notre Dame, earning his degree in three and a half years.
Character
Te’o has been a leader since birth. He was the perfect example for his siblings to follow as he was a good student and good citizen. A member of the Boy Scouts as a child, Te’o earned Eagle Scout status after years of determination and effort. He and his family knew the value of a good education as Te’o traveled 90 minutes each way so he could attend one of the most prestigious high schools in Hawaii. Raised on the North Shore of Oahu, Te’o traveled each day to downtown Honolulu to attend Punahou High School. Te’o would pass his local high school on the way to Punahou but he and his family knew how the elite education offered at Punahou would benefit him for the rest of his life.
End of quote.
This article goes further in explanation about his family and early life.
Now Dr. You Know is airing his discussions with the perpetrator of this sham. Lots can be said about why this young many was duped and participated in this fiasco. I have no idea ....one can only guess. Perhaps he was lonely even though he was surrounded by students. It would appear that he is not a very 'worldly" young man and schooled in today's dating standards --- whatever that would be!! Further complicating that scene would be the knowledge that he has been raised in and LDS family and no doubt has little experience dating. Perhaps he studied, practiced and played football, went to church, and kept busy with those activities. At any rate I now am satisfied that young Manti has graduated from ND with a degree and a respectable GP average should he want to go to graduate school after everyone has finished laughing at him and calling him names!!
Perhaps now he should go on to serve a mission like he started to earlier in his life. Time will tell.
*****Post Script ---1 Feb 2013
This entry will make no sense to you unless you have read the one just prior. My thoughts are directly in relation to those I "scribed" pertaining to the bizarre hoax played on the ND football player. My thoughts have not been to condemn either young man although that could have been easy. It has been interesting to listen to snippets of Dr. You Know's interviews and questions as he has attempted to unravel these rather complex interactions between those two.
The perpetrator of this hoax now seems rather repentant --- and the harm has been done to both. One could only hope for both of them that they might drop this whole issue, talk about it no more and move on with their young lives to be productive citizens who can overcome and forget.
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