When Aaron Hernandez was arrested in connection with the vicious murder of Odin Lloyd in June, many in the sports community familiar with the former New England Patriots star were not surprised. According to people in the know, Hernandez has long fought with mental demons including depression and hyper aggression.
In 2010 Hernandez was accused of sucker punching a waiter after a disagreement over the bill. In February 2013 he was accused of shooting a gun while in a car and as a result the passenger lost his right eye.
Now as he awaits trial, Rolling Stone releases a highly anticipated article detailing Hernandez’s dark descent leading up to the infamous night of June 17, 2013. Fittingly titled “The Gangster In The Huddle,” the investigative report digs up several surprising facts from family interviews and court documents.
Here are the top 10 things we learned about Aaron Hernandez from Rolling Stone.
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Photos: Rolling Stone, Boston Globe, NY Daily News, TMZ
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Aaron allegedly had a very serious drug problem – specifically PCP. When asked about the effects of angel dust on Hernandez, a friend of the family was quoted as saying:
“Aaron’s out of his mind.” “He’s been twisted on dust now for more than a year, which is when all of this crazy sh*t started.”
Due to his alleged paranoia, Hernandez carried a pistol with him at all times. To the point where he allegedly carried a rifle in his gym bags in fear of gangsters wanting him dead.
Aaron Hernandez also allegedly smoked three to four blunts of marijuana after games as this was his routine on route back to his home from the stadium.
According to Rolling Stone, the New England Patriots were quite aware of his strange behavior. After allegedly missing several workouts and rehab appointments for his shoulder, Head Coach Bill Belichick warned Hernandez that he was very close to being cut if he didn’t get his act together.
Aaron’s mother Terri allegedly cheated on his father Dennis with a brutal drug dealer while he was dying. After Dennis passed, she moved the drug dealer into the house she shared with Aaron.
Allegedly his former college football coach Urban Meyer helped Aaron cover failed drug tests and two violent incidents that took place off campus.
Aaron celebrated in a gangster lifestyle. He allegedly kept many unscrupulous individuals around and eventually cut himself off from friends and family.
Both Hernandez’s mother and father had criminal records, as did much of his extended family.
Aaron scored the lowest score possible on his pre draft for “social maturity” during a pre-draft assessment in 2010. There were also a lot of concerns regarding his noted use of marijuana. These missteps made his NFL Draft stock plummet. It is alleged that the New England Patriots turned a blind eye on these concerns as private detectives have since found holes in the Patriots’ player background check process.
Murder victim Odin Lloyd was hanging out with Aaron Hernandez a couple of nights before his demise. The two popped bottles, danced with girls and smoked marijuana. The night turned sour when Lloyd saw his two cousins, one of which had a beef with Hernandez. Hernandez allegedly was angered to see Lloyd associate with the two aforementioned men.
“Club security cameras allegedly capture the two men squabbling, showing Hernandez, six-two and a rippled 250, facing off with the five-11 Lloyd. The friends stopped short of throwing punches, though cameras mounted outside the club show the argument resuming in the street.”
