One of the most insane sports stories of 2013 has already hit....Lance Armstrong should THANK Notre Dame LB and Heisman Trophy runner-up, Manti Te'o, for this story....

Deadspin.com uncovered the amazing plot that the girlfriend of Manti Te'o, Lennay Kekua, who had reportedly DIED back in September on the SAME DAY his real grandmother died...was all an elaborate hoax. The story that was picked up by a TON of major news and sports outlets had been that she was in a serious car accident in California, and then had been diagnosed with leukemia

The story is really too insane and in depth with lots of twists and turns to really explain here, that's what the huge story on Deadspin is for HERE 

Basically, it boils down too whether or not this was some elaborate plot that Te'o and/or Notre Dame was a part of that was all just made up to build himself and/or the program into a bigger spotlight...or....he really 'dated' this girl online the whole time, never met her and really went with the whole story and treated her as his 'girlfriend' even though they never met face to face. 

Manti's statement from ESPN.com: This is incredibly embarrassing to talk about, but over an extended period of time, I developed an emotional relationship with a woman I met online. We maintained what I thought to be an authentic relationship by communicating frequently online and on the phone, and I grew to care deeply about her. To realize that I was the victim of what was apparently someone's sick joke and constant lies was, and is, painful and humiliating. It further pains me that the grief I felt and the sympathies expressed to me at the time of my grandmother's death in September were in any way deepened by what I believed to be another significant loss in my life. I am enormously grateful for the support of my family, friends and Notre Dame fans throughout this year. To think that I shared with them my happiness about my relationship and details that I thought to be true about her just makes me sick. I hope that people can understand how trying and confusing this whole experience has been. In retrospect, I obviously should have been much more cautious. If anything good comes of this, I hope it is that others will be far more guarded when they engage with people online than I was. Fortunately, I have many wonderful things in my life, and I'm looking forward to putting this painful experience behind me as I focus on preparing for the NFL Draft.

Notre Dame's statement: 

On Dec. 26, Notre Dame coaches were informed by Manti Te'o and his parents that Manti had been the victim of what appears to be a hoax in which someone using the fictitious name Lennay Kekua apparently ingratiated herself with Manti and then conspired with others to lead him to believe she had tragically died of leukemia. The University immediately initiated an investigation to assist Manti and his family in discovering the motive for and nature of this hoax. While the proper authorities will continue to investigate this troubling matter, this appears to be, at a minimum, a sad and very cruel deception to entertain its perpetrators.

Dennis Brown
University Spokesman | Assistant Vice President

UPDATE: Notre Dame Director of Athletics, Jack Swarbrick, had a press conference to answer some questions and give some details on Wednesday night:

- Manti alerted Notre Dame officials on Dece. 26th that the hoax was real

- Manti got a call from the number he had for his 'dead girlfriend' Lennay kekua when he was at an ESPN award show in December...this was months after she 'died'. The person on the phone call sounded and was more than likely the same person that played his girlfriend. - Manti went to Hawaii a few times to meet with Lennay but everytime he did, she never showed - Manti is expected to address the media at some point on Thursday

UPDATE from ESPN, NFL player says Kekua is real....Troy Polamalu was on trip when he met her

AZ Cardinals fullback, Reagan Mauia, said he believes Kekua existed because he met her in person when he and other Polynesian teammates and Troy Polamalu went to do charity work in American Samoa in June 2011.

"This was before her and Manti. 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."

Just Before Midnight a tweet was sent from the "Dead Girlfriend" @LennayKay twitter acct

So it looks like we will be finding out more info today