Aaron Hernandez was a tight end in the NFL and played for the New England Patriots from 2010 through January of 2013. In 2013, he was arrested and convicted of the first-degree murder of his friend Odin Lloyd and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In 2017, Hernandez was found hanging from a bed sheet in his prison cell after smoking K2, a synthetic drug that is associated with psychosis. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
After an abusive upbringing and a growing dependence on drugs, Hernandez left his hometown of Bristol, CT a semester early from high school to play college football for the University of Florida. At the University of Florida, Hernandez said that he was high on drugs every time he took the field. Due to excessive marijuana use and partying, his coach told him he was not welcome back for his senior year.
There were significant off-field concerns that affected Hernandez’s draft ranking, but in the 2010 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots drafted Aaron Hernandez 113 overall. Hernandez and Rob Gronkowski became a dynamic duo at the tight end position, and they were the first tight-end pair in NFL history to catch at least five touchdowns each in consecutive seasons for the same team. His last game in the NFL was the AFC Championship game in January of 2013.
In 2013, he was arrested and convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In 2017, Hernandez committed suicide by hanging himself with a bed sheet in his prison cell after smoking K2, a synthetic drug that is associated with psychosis. Three handwritten notes were next to a bible opened to John 3:16 and “John 3:16” was also written on his head in red ink. There were drawings in blood on the walls. He was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Brain scans later confirmed that Hernandez also suffered from CTE from frequent concussions. There is speculation that Hernandez was bisexual or gay, and the fear of this getting out to the public may have contributed to the suicide. Reports say that he came out to his mother and ex-girlfriend while in prison.
