BYU head coach Bronco Mendenhall trusts his players to tell the truth, and he said that's why he didn't find out about Shiloah Te'o's August DUI until Saturday night.

Te'o, a sophomore defensive back from Hawaii, was dismissed from the team Tuesday for violation of team rules, which turned out to be charges of suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and two other traffic violations on Aug. 29. According to police reports, Te'o was arrested at the 7-Eleven store at 222 West 300 South in Provo after failing a sobriety test.

"It's pretty simple," Mendenhall said after Wednesday's practice. "In August, I heard a rumor that our players might have been involved in an altercation. I addressed it with our team and then called in Shiloah and asked if he was involved and it was, 'No.' I trust our players so when I ask them, if they deny it, then I move forward unless other evidence comes forward.

"We moved ahead as a football team at that point and never considering anything else. I received a text message Saturday night about midnight saying he (Te'o) was cited for a DUI on that same weekend (in August) and that was the first I had ever considered he was involved. I called him in on Sunday and visited with him. It was confirmed Tuesday night after practice it was him, so that was the trail of events."

Te'o withdrew from BYU on Wednesday and no other Cougars players were involved, according to Mendenhall.

"Along the way, I simply wasn't told the truth by one of my players," Mendenhall continued. "That's probably what is most disturbing to me, but he's been held accountable now. We acted consistently and quickly with what I've done before, but really the most damage that was done along the way was just not being told the truth."

Mendenhall was asked if this incident wanted to make him second guess his players more in the future.

"I don't think I can ever do that," he said. "If I ask a player and look him right in the eye and ask if they participated or not and they deny it, unless evidence comes forward, I'm not going to be a private investigator. But when I do usually know and know quickly, I call them in and give them a chance to look me in eye and tell the truth, knowing that I hold every player accountable for telling the truth and if they don't, it's means for dismissal. I have the right at that point to eliminate them. If I were to say what weighed more heavily on the decision, it is not being told the truth."

Te'o played in all five BYU games this season as a reserve safety and on special teams. He recorded five tackles, including one tackle for a loss. He saw action on special teams in 11 games as a freshman in 2008, recording five tackles and one fumble recovery.

∫ Daily Herald Sports Editor Darnell Dickson can be reached at 801-344-2555 or by e-mail at ddickson@heraldextra.com.