Manti Te’o Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What is Manti Te’o’s Net Worth?

With a net worth of $3.5 million, Manti Te’o is an American professional football player. Over his NFL career, he played for the San Diego Chargers, New Orleans Saints, and Chicago Bears. Before entering the NFL, Te’o played college football at Notre Dame. His contract with the Bears expired in 2021, which seemingly marked the end of his linebacker career.

The infamous catfishing incident that involved Manti likely cost him a projected first-round draft spot, resulting in him being selected early in the second round instead. This fall impacted his financial earnings significantly. Throughout his NFL career, Manti accumulated a total salary of $10.4 million.

In August 2022, Manti’s story was featured in a Netflix documentary titled “Untold: The Girlfriend Who Didn’t Exist,” where he shared his perspective on the catfishing incident. His appearance and positive attitude about the situation, as well as his willingness to forgive the perpetrator, received widespread acclaim.

Early Life

Born on January 26, 1991, in Laie, Hawaii, Manti Malietau Louis Te’o excelled in high school football at a private school, earning multiple honors. He was recognized as the State Defensive Player of the Year and Gatorade State Player of the Year in 2007. In his junior year, he amassed 90 tackles, five sacks, 400 rushing yards, and ten touchdowns as a running back, garnering attention from colleges nationwide.

Before even starting his senior year, Te’o had received several college offers. In that senior year, he led his high school team to its first-ever state championship, achieving 129 tackles, 11 sacks, and four touchdowns. A memorable highlight was a touchdown scored from a blocked punt return. Thanks to his impressive performances, he earned the Gatorade State Player of the Year title for the second time, along with additional accolades.

Upon graduating from high school in 2009, he enrolled at the University of Notre Dame. He participated in all 12 games during his freshman season, tallying 63 tackles—an impressive start that earned him Freshman All-American honors. Transitioning from outside linebacker to inside linebacker in his sophomore year, he recorded 133 tackles, which became a career-high that he could never surpass. In the subsequent season, he followed with 128 tackles and continued to gather more accolades. His senior year saw him reaching 103 total tackles while Notre Dame became the second-highest-ranked college nationally in scoring defense.

Te’o departed Notre Dame as one of the most celebrated defensive players in college football history. He earned numerous awards, including the Maxwell Award, Chuck Bednarik Award, Butkus Award, Lombardi Award, and Walter Camp Award, while recording a total of 437 tackles during his time at the university.

Career

When it came time for Te’o to declare his NFL Draft eligibility, he encountered a sense of disappointment…

the lead-up to the NFL draft, this particular event raised many eyebrows among recruiters, particularly concerning his 40-yard dash time. Ultimately, he was picked 38th overall by the San Diego Chargers and signed a contract worth four years and $5 million. The agreement included over $3 million in guaranteed funds, along with a signing bonus close to $2 million. Sadly, during the preseason opener, Manti suffered a foot injury that led him to miss multiple games. He did make his debut against the Houston Texans, concluding the season with 61 tackles.

In 2014, a fractured foot further complicated his career trajectory. He made a recovery by mid-season, which allowed him to start recording his initial interceptions and sacks. In the ensuing years, he consistently notched approximately 60 tackles each season, and in 2016, he earned the title of one of the Chargers’ team captains. Unfortunately, he faced another setback that year, as he tore his Achilles tendon.

Following his placement on the injured reserve list, Manti was traded to the New Orleans Saints. He signed a two-year deal and eventually led the team in tackles for loss during the 2017 season. However, he was not re-signed after the expiration of his contract. Still, New Orleans brought him back with a short contract in 2019 after he had spent much of the season not playing.

In 2020, Manti became a member of the Chicago Bears’ practice squad. The following year, he was activated to the team’s active roster and played against the New Orleans Saints. However, after that game, he returned to the practice squad. In January 2021, his practice squad contract with the Bears ended, marking the conclusion of his NFL career.

Career Earnings

Throughout his NFL tenure from 2013 to 2020, Manti Te’o accumulated a total salary of $10.4 million (before taxes and additional fees). The year 2018 marked his highest earnings, pulling in $1.7 million with the New Orleans Saints.

As a Heisman finalist and following a Championship appearance, many expected Manti to be drafted within the top half of the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Some contend that his personal controversies led to his drop into the second round. Ultimately, he became the 38th overall selection, which was the sixth pick in the second round. Upon being drafted by the Chargers, he signed a 4-year contract worth $5.172 million, inclusive of a $2.14 million signing bonus. If his controversies did contribute to his first-round exclusion, Manti certainly missed out on millions. To illustrate, Kenny Vaccaro, who was the 15th pick in the first round, received a 4-year rookie contract with the Saints worth $9.4 million, including a $5.2 million signing bonus.

In 2017, Manti entered into a 2-year contract valued at $5 million with the Saints, followed by a 1-year deal worth $805,000. During his final NFL season as part of the Chicago Bears’ practice squad, Manti earned $132,000.

Catfishing Incident

Manti Te’o gained significant notoriety due to his involvement in a catfishing incident. During his time as a student at Notre Dame, he fell victim to a complex hoax orchestrated by Ronaiah Tuiasosopo. Tuiasosopo created a detailed and fictitious persona on Facebook, leading Manti to believe that he was communicating with an attractive woman named Lennay Kekua. At one point during

During their online relationship, Manti was informed that his girlfriend had fallen into a coma due to a car accident. Shortly after she awoke, the hoaxer misled Manti into believing that Lennay had succumbed to Leukemia.

In a tragic twist, while all of this was unfolding, Manti’s grandmother sadly passed away.

As news broke that a star football player’s grandmother and girlfriend had died—reportedly on the same day—a media storm erupted.

At the same time, two reporters from Deadspin received information suggesting that the girlfriend was fictitious, and simultaneously, Manti began to suspect that something was off. The girlfriend contacted him, asserting that she had returned from the dead after a period of hiding.

Sadly, when the catfishing scandal was unveiled, Manti—who was the victim—faced an unjust and overwhelming backlash. This backlash arguably led to Manti being drafted in the NFL’s second round instead of the first, costing him millions.

Almost ten years following the event, Manti and the perpetrator took part in a Netflix documentary regarding the hoax. The documentary clearly demonstrated that Manti did everything he could to navigate this perplexing situation and was not complicit. He promptly informed his friends, parents, and school officials once it became evident that it was a scam.

Despite enduring millions of dollars in losses from the draft, becoming a national laughingstock, and possibly experiencing a hindered NFL career due to the humiliation, Manti still publicly forgave the hoaxer in the Netflix documentary.

On a broader note, the media as a whole owes Manti Te’o a heartfelt apology.

Marriage

In 2020, Manti got engaged to his girlfriend, Jovi Nicole Engbino, and they tied the knot later that year. Together, they have two children: a daughter named Hiro Te’o, who was born on August 12, 2021, and a son named Kyro Aumua Te’o, who arrived on January 16, 2023.