In Opinion: The Case Against Aaron Hernandez

Previously published in the printed version of the Live Wire

August 26,2013

By Zachariah Hand

Live Wire Staff Writer

When the New England Patriots signed 22-year-old tight end Aaron Hernandez to a five-year contract extension worth up to $40 million in August 2012, they thought they had secured both pieces of the greatest tight end duo (Hernandez and teammate Rob Gronkowski, who had signed a long-term deal two months earlier) in the NFL for years to come.

The deal, though a lengthy commitment to a player who had shown some injury concerns, was viewed as mostly positive for the Patriots, who had successfully locked up a rising star for the greater portion of his career. Now, just one year later, Hernandez sits in a prison cell at Bristol County Jail in Dartmouth, Mass., being held without bail as he awaits a trial for several charges, including first-degree murder in connection to the death of a Dorchester, Mass., man. If convicted, he could face a sentence of life in prison.

When Hernandez was first connected to the death of 27-year-old semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd, whose body was found at an industrial park a mile from Hernandez’s North Attleboro, Mass., home, it came as a shock to fans, as Hernandez had appeared to be a model citizen during his time with the Patriots. It was common knowledge that Hernandez had used marijuana in his college days, which had caused him to slip to the fourth round of the 2010 NFL draft, but those problems were thought to be far
behind him.

While Gronkowski would appear in numerous headlines throughout the offseason for his excessive partying, Hernandez was the quieter and more grounded tight end, who would show up to play, and, as the Patriots preach, do his job. Upon signing his extension, Hernandez showed a generous side, immediately donating $50,000 to the Myra H. Kraft Giving Back Fund, a charitable endowment created by Patriots owner Robert Kraft in memory of his late wife. Hernandez would later say that Kraft had “changed his life” by giving him the extension,
and that he wanted to thank him for the opportunity.

Now, Hernandez’s supposed righteous actions appear to be nothing more than a ruse put on by a sociopath.

Though Hernandez has not yet been convicted of any wrongdoing, the situation does not bode well for the former Bristol native. In addition to the first-degree murder charge, he also faces five additional gun-related charges in relation to the Lloyd case. Evidence that may be harmful to Hernandez has begun to surface, including images from his home security system that allegedly show the former Patriot holding a gun only minutes after Lloyd is believed to have been shot.

Also possibly incriminating to Hernandez are the text messages that Lloyd sent to his sister in the hours leading up to his murder. In these text messages, Lloyd told his sister that he was with “NFL,” in a possible reference to Hernandez.

Police also recently searched an apartment in Franklin, Mass., that was rented in Hernandez’s name, in which a sweatshirt bearing a resemblance to the one Hernandez is believed to have been wearing on the night of Lloyd’s murder was found, along with ammunition. Two men believed to have been with Hernandez on the night of Lloyd’s murder have also been taken into custody.

Since Hernandez was originally linked to Lloyd’s death, he has also been linked to a number of other crimes. These crimes include the alleged shooting of a friend in February after an altercation at a strip club in Florida, a July 2012 drive-by shooting in Boston that left two people dead and a third injured, and possibly a number of shootings in Florida that took place while Hernandez was a student at the University of Florida.

As a result of Hernandez’s connection to these crimes, his public image has understandably suffered.

In the weeks since his arrest, the Pro Football Hall of Fame has removed an award- winning picture of Hernandez from display, and the University of Florida has removed all traces of its former star from campus. The Patriots also worked to distance themselves from their former player, offering a jersey exchange from July 6th through July 7th during which fans were able to exchange Hernandez jerseys for replica jerseys of other Patriots players. Hundreds exchanged his number, 81, for someone else’s.

Since the news of Hernandez’s connection to the murder of Lloyd, the Patriots have been berated by many media outlets for their decision to draft Hernandez.
Though it may be easy to put blame on the Patriots for taking a chance on Hernandez, they should not be viewed as the pariahs some have made them out to be. By bringing in Hernandez, the team was simply doing what every NFL team strives to do: put the best product on the field to win championships. The fact that Hernandez chose to associate himself with questionable activities was his choice alone.

If Hernandez is convicted of these crimes, he could very easily be considered the worst human being to ever put on an NFL uniform, ranking in the same class as villains such as Rae Carruth, who was convicted in 2001 of conspiring to murder his pregnant girlfriend, and, of course, the infamous O.J. Simpson.

Whether Hernandez is convicted or not, he has proven his stupidity by associating with himself with shady people and activities and allowing himself to fall into a situation where he can be accused of murder when he had a fiancé, an infant child, and a career with a very lucrative income to consider.

As a result of Hernandez’s choices, his days in the NFL are likely finished. The trial will take a great deal of time to be completed, time when his body and skills as a player will diminish. Even if he is acquitted and freed, any team that would sign Hernandez after that has come out about him, would draw the ire of many fans. Most won’t risk it.

So, at 23 years of age, Hernandez’s very-promising life may be over.

Opinions expressed in the Live Wire are those of the author and not of the entire staff of the paper. If you have ideas you would like to share or a response to this or any other piece in the Live Wire, feel free to submit it. Send it to the livewire@mcc.commnet.edu or bring it to the Live Wire office, SSC L146.