Let's assume that Deadspin didn't trace it back eventually to a close mutual friend of his.

So he's _REALLY_ embarrassed because someone online pulled a pretty hardcore prank on him. Yet he still continues to act as though she was a real person even after he found out about it?

Because if that is true, it makes it seem to the rest of the sports world that he's just trying to garner sympathy to win the Heisman. That kind of makes him even more scummier: the fact that even though he knows that he got pranked, he continues to perpetuate the lie.

Edit: for more context about it, read this: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/college-football/news/20130...

Apparently the guy who it got traced backed to 1) wasn't actually a close friend, just an acquaintance the player met relatively recently (after being contacted by the "fake" woman), and 2) had pulled similar stunts on other people in the past.

So it definitely isn't cut and dry, and I'm leaning towards extreme naivety on Te'o's part at this point (and possibly some embellishment to cover up embarrassment), although it definitely is a bizarre story either way.