Bill Belichick opens up on Aaron Hernandez’s ‘darker side’ years after Patriots star’s murder conviction
Bill Belichick admittedly knew Aaron Hernandez was ‘different’ when the two worked together with the New England Patriots, but insists he was unaware of the tight end’s ‘darker side’ until after the tragic events of 2013 and 2015.
‘There were a lot of things to like about Aaron, and then Aaron had another side to him that, I guess a lot of us didn’t see,’ Belichick, now the head football coach at North Carolina, said on Hang Out with Sean Hannity.
Hernandez’s successful NFL career ended abruptly in 2013 when he was arrested for the murder of acquaintance Odin Lloyd. The former University of Florida tight end was convicted in 2015 and later acquitted for the 2012 double homicide of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado.
Days after his acquittal, in April of 2017, Hernandez died by suicide in a prison cell at 27. He was posthumously diagnosed with a severe case of the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which some have blamed for violent behavior.
Prior to his arrest, Hernandez was known as a mercurial star, and although he’d never been arrested before 2013, he did have a reputation for drug use and was reportedly linked to a number of violent incidents leading up to Lloyd’s murder.
But Belichick remembered another side of Hernandez, whom the Patriots rewarded with a five-year, $39.58 million contract extension in August of 2012.
Bill Belichick admittedly knew Aaron Hernandez was ‘different’ when the two worked together with the Patriots, but told Sean Hannity the tight end had ‘another side I guess we didn’t see’
Aaron Hernandez is seen with Belichick in January of 2013, months before his arrest
‘Aaron was very smart,’ Belichick said. ‘He was different… Look, we gave him a contract extension a year before that. There was obviously a darker side to Aaron that…
‘Seems painful for you,’ Hannity interjected.
To Hannity, an NFL fan who lived in the New York area when Belichick was the Giants’ defensive coordinator, Hernandez’s talent may have put him at greater risk.
‘You know, it’s amazing,’ Hannity said. ‘I would say about some people that their blessing sometimes is a curse —and I don’t know what was going on with him, you know, I’ve read so much about it… It’s tragic.
‘That’s a good way to put it,’ Belichick agreed.
Belichick also criticized CBS News and suggested his infamous interview last year with girlfriend Jordon Hudson was deceptively edited. The interview went viral due to Hudson intervening and shutting down a line of questioning about how she met the coach. It put their relationship under an even bigger microscope, leading to public inquests and scrutiny over Hudson’s role within the UNC football program all summer long.
Hernadez was convicted of Lloyd’s murder, cleared of a double homicide and later died by suicide in 2017. He was posthumously diagnosed with the degenderative brain disease CTE
Odin Lloyd was murdered in his native North Attleborough, Massachusetts on June 17, 2013
‘You know, as we’ve seen recently, there have been more editing problems, and they go back over a couple of years—multiple examples of editing and interview process and all that,’ Belichick said.
‘You know, I thought that the interview I had with them was done very deceptively. I’ve asked for the transcript from them, and they won’t give it to me. They’ve done that with others. I’m not really sure what that policy is.’
Belichick continued, ‘I’m kind of confused about some of the things that they [CBS] say they are, but I don’t really see them living up to the trust that they talk about.’
Belichick continued, ‘I’m kind of confused about some of the things that they [CBS] say they are, but I don’t really see them living up to the trust that they talk about.’
Later in the interview, Belichick addressed another controversy he’s dealt with: his snub from the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Belichick and Hudson have been a controversial couple since they first went public
The interview raised scrutiny into his relationship with Jordon Hudson due to her intervention
Belichick’s absence from the honor in his first year of eligibility was a shock to many in the NFL and beyond.
‘Honestly, I’ve been very focused on my job at the University of North Carolina and the players and the university there,’ Belichick explained.
‘So, you know, whatever happens, happens. But I’m proud of what we accomplished as teams at New England and certainly at the Giants, and proud of those relationships. So that’s what matters most.’
Belichick also expressed appreciation for support for his candidacy from the likes of Tom Brady and President Trump.
‘It’s great to hear that support from so many people and from so many different fields— not just football, but many others. And so, you know, I was very appreciative of that support and the positive comments that they made.’
