Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o admitted to Katie Couric he answered questions about his "dead" online girlfriend even after he received a call on Dec 6 from a woman posing as the fake person.

Te'o also maintained he played no part in the hoax.

Pressed by Couric to admit he was in on the deception, the All-American said he was convinced the woman he knew as Lennay Kekua died in September. Te'o claims he never met Kekua in person but developed a serious relationship with her through phone calls and electronic messages.