Manti Teo is a liar. Yes. He lied. But the linebacker from Notre Dame is guilty of a much greater sin in the eyes of many. He’s not cool.
Even as he became one of the most celebrated figures in college football, Teo was never cool. He talked about God. He seemed earnest. Tebow-ish.
For this past year, Teo seemed too good to be true. He was portrayed as everything that was still good in sports. He was a kid who seemed to take his faith seriously and by all accounts was a great young man who returned for his senior year and led his team all the way to the national championship game. The kid was the stuff of legend. And now he’s a punchline. And a target. Now, the cool kids have decided on whose back the “kick me” sign will be on for the near future. It’s Teo, because he was hoaxed into believing he had an online girlfriend who died.
As everyone knows by now, Teo made the completely uncool mistake of being naïve.
