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USA TODAY Sports answers all the questions from the bizarre Manti Te'o story:

A. According to Notre Dame athletic director Jack Swarbrick, Te'o was at the ESPN College Football Awards show on Dec. 6 when he received a phone call from his girlfriend's phone number with what he recognized as her voice, claiming she was not dead. At that point, he knew something was wrong and informed his parents during a trip home to Hawaii between the Heisman Trophy ceremony and Notre Dame's bowl practices.

A. On Dec. 26, Te'o informed head coach Brian Kelly and defensive coordinator Bob Diaco about the phone call. The following two days, he met with Swarbrick to review the details of his relationship with the woman. At that point, Notre Dame hired an independent investigative firm to research the situation. The report was delivered to Notre Dame on Jan. 4, just three days before the national championship game.

A. Apparently she is the alias of one or more people who Swarbrick says duped Te'o. Deadspin began its investigation into Kekua by looking for a death certificate and came up with nothing. Stanford's registrar did not have records of Kekua as a student. Other online background checks found no evidence that a person named Lennay Kekua even exists. There was also no public obituary or funeral notice in newspapers. So, in essence, it seems she was a figment of somebody's imagination.

A. In short, catfishing -- a term cited by Swarbrick in his explanation of the events -- is the process of developing a fake online persona with the express purpose of deceiving a love-struck significant other. (To what end, especially with Te'o, remains unclear.) In Te'o's case, the people behind Lennay Kekua were participating in "catfishing."

A. Te'o claimed he met Kekua after Notre Dame played at Stanford in 2009 and had even recalled touching her hand as they saw each other for the first time. He made numerous other references in interviews to meeting her in person, which turned out to be false. Te'o's father, Brian, also told the South Bend Tribune in October that Kekua had traveled to Hawaii and "(Manti) would meet with her there."

A. No. Te'o's statement acknowledges the relationship was strictly online and on the phone. Swarbrick said Te'o admitted he and Kekua had arranged multiple meetings for which she never showed up. Why Te'o continued pursuing the relationship at that point remains unclear. Swarbrick said he would let Te'o explain why he misled media members and others about the nature of their relationship.