SOUTH BEND, Ind. (MCT) — After weeks of personal tumult the world could see, Manti Te’o set about getting weight off his shoulders by putting weight on his shoulders. On a Friday in Hawaii, he set up tents for his grandmother’s funeral service. He rose around 7 a.m. the next morning to help with decorations.

By the end of the service, Te’o was enveloped by a vast family and the cascade of laughter and stories that celebrate a life. That night, he and Robby Toma, his friend and teammate, cracked jokes as they people-watched at the airport. Te’o hadn’t yet returned to Notre Dame, but he was back.