Te’o hopes scandal won't hurt draft status

With the NFL combine set to begin Wednesday in Indianapolis, Manti Te'o is hoping he isn't as invisible to scouts as his girlfriend was to him.

The Notre Dame linebacker — who made headlines earlier in the year after it was learned he hid the fact he was a victim of an imaginary girlfriend scam — tried to clear the air last month in some television interviews, but several people still feel he was involved in the publicity stunt, which could downgrade his draft status.

"As far as my stock dropping or rising, that's not up to me," Te'o told USA Today on Monday. "The only thing I have to do is just do well, run fast, just be myself, be quick.

"What I did on the field is what I did on the field. I don't think what I did with this whole situation, I don't understand how it takes away from what I did on the field."

Te'o finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting and won seven awards this year. He had 113 tackles, seven interceptions and 11 passes deflected, leading the Fighting Irish to the BCS National Championship, where he had a quiet game in a 42-14 loss to Alabama.

Te'o was viewed as a top five pick, but now there are questions if he will be drafted in the first round of April's NFL Draft. He did his best politicking to prepare for the draft.

"I just want them to know, whoever picks me just let them know that you're choosing someone who loves the game," he said.

He was also one of the most popular college athletes on Twitter, but closed his account two weeks ago.

"It's been a distraction for me, so I need to get rid of it," Te'o said of the social network, where he met his non-existent girlfriend.

Te'o still maintains his innocence, but said he realizes he could have handled the situation differently, and hopes teams won't focus on that as much as his football skills.

"I didn't do anything illegal," he said. "I didn't break any rules, I didn't hurt anybody. I just wasn't very forthcoming, as forthcoming as I should have been. But in that, I didn't do anything wrong."

david.satriano@nypost.com

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