Manti Te’o’s playing career may be over, but he’s still getting recognized for his football skills.
The Polynesian Football Hall of Fame announced Tuesday that Te’o will be one of three inductees in January 2023.
“These men represent the very best of our Polynesian people and we look forward to celebrating this recognition with them and their families in January!” said Jesse Sapolu, co-founder and chairman of the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame, in a press release.
Te’o, who has Hawaiian and Samoan ancestry, played in the NFL for seven years after a standout career at the University of Notre Dame. As a linebacker for the Fighting Irish, he tallied 437 tackles over four years, a figure that put him at third on the school’s all-time list, according to the press release.
Te’o, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has been back in the spotlight this year due to the release of a Netflix documentary on his catfishing scandal. “Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist” explores how being deceived by someone he thought he knew and loved derailed Te’o’s professional career.
Te’o’s willingness to open up to filmmakers has been widely praised by NFL players and reporters, as the Deseret News previously reported.
“I was left with nothing but ultimate respect for Manti Te’o. Incredible how he handled himself in this documentary,” tweeted NFL insider Ian Rapoport in August.
The documentary’s warm reception paved the way for Te’o to reenter the public eye in other ways, including by attending a Notre Dame football game. Te’o received loud cheers when he was shown on the jumbotron ahead of Notre Dame’s game against the California Golden Bears on Sept. 17, according to reporter Tyler Horka.
Te’o was selected for the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame by a committee of former NFL players and former inductees, including NFL Network commentator Steve Wyche and coach Dick Vermeil. His fellow 2023 inductees are Harry Montague-Field and Larry Warford.
The induction ceremony will take place in late January, the press release said.