NEW YORK (AP) _ Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te'o admitted to Katie Couric he answered questions about his ``dead,'' online girlfriend even after he received a call 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 that 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.

``Katie, put yourself in my situation. I, my whole world told me that she died on Sept. 12. Everybody knew that. This girl, who I committed myself to, died on Sept. 12,'' Te'o said in an interview to air Thursday on Couric's syndicated talk show. A segment of the interview with Te'o and his parents was broadcast Wednesday on ``Good Morning America.''

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