"We all owe Manti Te'o an apology" - NFL fans heartbroken as video shows ex-Notre Dame star devastated in tears

A Netflix documentary revolving around former linebacker Manti Te'o's infamous 'catfish' girlfriend was released this week. Scenes in the two-part documentary showcased him getting teary-eyed as he expressed his emotions and told his story to the world a decade later.

He was heavily scrutinized in 2013 for falling for a hoax online wherein an acquaintance pretended to be his girlfriend under an alias for nearly two years. When the story broke out nearly 10 years ago, he was met with a lot of abuse and ridicule for his naivete.

However, upon the release of the documentary, which provided him with a platform to tell his side of the story, fans were left feeling remorseful and apologetic for Te'o.

Here are some of the fans' tweets encasing the general feeling of repentance:

In January 2013, the biggest news in the country was that a 19-year-old college football star had dedicated his season to his dead girlfriend who didn't exist. Te'o was an important player on his team in 2012 when he learned that his grandma and his girlfriend both died on the same day.

His 22-year-old 'girlfriend', Stanford student Lennay Kekua had apparently died in a road crash, with whom he had an online-exclusive relationship. A few months later, news outlet Deadspin reported that Lenny Kekua did not exist and was in fact a friend who was pretending to be Lenny.

In a matter of moments, the Heisman-finalist's life was turned upside-down. There was an incessant flow of memes and jokes ridiculing Te'o. Still, he focused on his career and was picked in the second round of the 2013 draft by the Chargers and proceeded to play in the NFL for eight years.

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Wasted potential and a source of inspiration: An overlook of Manti Te'o's NFL career

Manti Te'o played for the San Diego Chargers in 2014

Linebacker Manti Te'o led his side - Fighting Irish of Notre-Dame - to the BCS National Championship Game in 2012. He was a Heisman finalist and was one of the most decorated defensive players in college football history, winning the Butkus Award among others.

He was destined for a glittering career among the pros until the catfishing incident caused a major setback.

Nonetheless, he was picked in the second round of the 2013 draft by the Chargers, who played in San Diego back then. He, unfortunately, had an injury-riddled career and made just 48 starts in the league.

He had stints with the Saints from 2017-19, with the Bears in 2020, but is currently not signed to any team roster. He had incredible potential as a collegiate player but was ultimately unable to reach the highs he was capable of.