Two officials, each with a different team, said their clubs passed on Te'o in the first round partly because of his off-field issues.

WSJ: Chargers take Manti Te'o in 2nd round of NFL draft

According to Swarbrick, Te'o in early December received a call from a woman claiming to be his girlfriend and telling him she was not dead.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS

On that evening, in front of a prime time audience that learned of his heart-wrenching story, Te'o also hauled in an ill-advised Spartan lateral that helped ice the game.

CNN: 'Go Irish' vs. 'Roll Tide'