The Internet is blowing up right now with rumors surrounding Manti Te’o’s dead girlfriend hoax. Apparently Notre Dame linebacker star Manti had a girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, who he never saw, that then died from leukemia. Oh, and she died hours within his grandmother died. Oh, and she was fake.

Not a whole lot of that makes sense. Either Manti is an elaborate scammer; he’s crazy or very stupid. The real question once you get past the TMZ factor is; how much will this affect him in the NFL draft?

Previous to the dead girlfriend drama, Manti was a Heisman trophy finalist. He was a star linebacker with a bright future. He was projected to be a high pick in the NFL draft. In fact, the Raiders GM says that he is a first rounder. Now that this story has surfaced, how far will his stock plummet?

Aside from the drama surrounding his dead, fake girlfriend, there was his poor performance in the BSC championship game. He was horrible; he was missing blitzes and getting run over. His worth had already been affected by his performance. Now, add the drama. Teams don’t want to deal with it.

This season alone shows team’s unwillingness to deal with football players that will cause a locker room to become a circus. Look at Chad Johnson who was dropped within two days of his alleged altercation with his wife. However, talent will win out over drama.

Terrell Owens is proof of that. The guy was extremely disruptive but teams kept him around for a long time. If Manti can stay true to those seven interceptions, he will be okay. Teams won’t jump to draft him in the first round. He will be a second rounder on a short leash.

On the other hand, if Manti is found innocent then scouts have to question his naivety, and how he forms and keeps emotional and social relationships. If we are going to blunt, they also need to question his intelligence. Being a successful middle linebacker means being aware of all angles and not, well, being tricked so easily.

However, there are 96 days until the draft. The truth of this story has yet to be exposed. Things could sway either way according to the outcome. Especially if Manti can show scouts high performance on the field. Look at Ray Lewis. He was charged with murder in 2000, and now he’s the sweetheart of the NFL.

Hayley Campbell | Elite. 

Model Sports Fan, aka Hayley Campbell. Yeah I’m a walking paradox; part model, part sports aficionado. Sports are my lifeblood, in particular the NFL makes my heart beat faster. Oh, and I love beer  Follow her on Twitter: @modelsportsfan