Fansided

Manti Te’o Hoax: Arizona Cardinals’ Reagan Mauia Says Lennay Kekua is Real

By Josh Sanchez

facebooktwitterreddit
Nov 13, 2011; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Arizona Cardinals fullback Reagan Mauia (45) during warmups prior to playing the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Cardinals defeated the Eagles 21-17. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 13, 2011; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Arizona Cardinals fullback Reagan Mauia (45) during warmups prior to playing the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. The Cardinals defeated the Eagles 21-17. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

Just when we all thought this Manti Te’o hoax story could not get any more confusing, it does. Despite Manti Te’o and the University of Notre Dame releasing statements and confirming that Te’o’s girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, did not exist, one current NFL player is either just as confused as anyone else, part of the sickening hoax, or he was a victim of the same deceit.

Arizona Cardinals fullback Reagan Mauia said in an ESPN story that not only is Kekua real, but he met her in 2011.

“No, she is real. This was before her and Manti,” Mauia said.

“I don’t think Manti was even in the picture, but she and I became good friends.  We would talk off and on, just checking up on each other kind of thing.  I am close to her family.  When she was going through the loss of her father, I was — I offered a comforting shoulder and just someone to bounce her emotions off.  That was just from meeting her in Samoa.”

Mauia says that he was introduced to Kekua by Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, who is reportedly involved in creating the hoax.

Is it possible that Te’o really was the victim or a hoax that has been attempted on college football players before? Well, if Mauia’s account of Kekua is correct then it certainly seems like that could be the case. For now, all we know is that this is one of the strangest stories in college football history.