Reports: Manti Te’o Girlfriend a Hoax (AUDIO)

Wednesday afternoon the college football world was shaken upside down. First, Oregon head coach Chip Kelly, after returning to the Ducks decided to fly with the Eagles taking the head coaching position in Philadelphia. The story however would fail in comparison to the one that was about to break.

A Deadspin article revealed Notre Dame Linebacker Manti Te'o, one of the most decorated linebackers in college football history, had a fictitious girlfriend. The death of "Lennay Kekua" along with Te'o's grandmother on the same day had become a storyline in the linebacker's senior campaign as multiple media outlets covered the story on air and in print, especially after Te'o's 12 tackle showing against Michigan State shortly after the reported incidents.

Jack Dickey, one of the authors of the Deadspin joined the Paul Finebaum Show and spoke of how this story came about.

The story has quickly made its rounds through the social media outlets, facebook and twitter and as it begins to play out and more information is revealed, Dickey sees the story taking one of two turns.

Prior to the interview, Notre Dame University had released a statement. On Dec. 26, Notre Dame coaches were informed by Manti Te’o and his parents that Manti had been the victim of what appears to be a hoax in which someone using the fictitious name Lennay Kekua apparently ingratiated herself with Manti and then conspired with others to lead him to believe she had tragically died of leukemia. The University immediately initiated an investigation to assist Manti and his family in discovering the motive for and nature of this hoax. While the proper authorities will continue to investigate this troubling matter, this appears to be, at a minimum, a sad and very cruel deception to entertain its perpetrators.

Audio coming courtesy of The Paul Finebaum Show airing weekdays from 2-6pm on Tuscaloosa's Sports Authority 99.1 WDGM.