In the three seasons Aaron Hernandez played in the National Football League with the New England Patriots, he showed nothing but traits of a player who had a stellar career ahead of him. He was drafted into the football league with the likes of with whom he formed one of the most dominant tight-end partnerships the league has ever seen.
Aaron made a Super Bowl XLVI appearance and there were hopes that it was the first of more to come, however, all that came to nought as his life nosedived following his conviction for the murder of Odin Lloyd, a footballer who plays as a linebacker for the Boston Bandits, a semi-professional football team in New England Football League (NEFL). More to his woes, he committed suicide on April 19, 2017, in his single-occupant cell room, bringing to an end what was once a promising life he had.
In this article, we are going to take you through the major events of his life, introduce to you who we know as his family members and serve you the gist of what his sexuality was disclosed to be while he was in prison.
Who is Aaron Hernandez and How Old is He?
The late convicted murderer and ex-footballer had his full name as Aaron Josef Hernandez. He was born on the 6th day of November 1989 in Bristol, Connecticut where he resided with his family at the time in Greystone Avenue. He was born to father Dennis Hernandez who is of Puerto Rican descent and mother Terri Valentine-Hernandez, who is of Italian descent. His family wasn’t the happiest as his parents constantly had squabbles with each other and at other times were involved in and arrested for various crimes.
For his education, Aaron Hernandez attended Bristol Central High School where he played football with the Bristol Rams football team as a wide receiver. In the course of his stay with the team, he developed in and played other positions like tight end and defensive end. In his senior year, Hernandez was Connecticut’s Gatorade Football Player of the Year. He graduated from high school a semester ahead of his peers due to his football skills as coach of the University of Florida convinced his high school principal to allow him to graduate ahead of his mates. Thus, Aaron graduated from high school and enrolled at the University of Florida in 2007.
While at Florida, Aaron devoted more time to football more than he did for his academics. At this time also, he was a troubled kid coming from a background of parental abuse. Aaron was deeply involved in drugs, and as well was already a victim of sexual abuse. It was reported that almost anytime he was on the field, he was already high on drugs. Be that as it may, he excelled in his college football career with his teammates. They won the 2009 BCS National Championship Game and he received the John Mackey Award. He was further named to the first-team All-Southeastern Conference selection, as well as the first-team All-American selection by The Sporting News, Associated Press, and College Football News.
Aaron Hernandez was later picked in the 2010 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots in the fourth round (113th overall). He impressed with his play while the going was good for him in his career but hardly was his drug abuse issues over. Then came his arrest for the murder of Odin Lloyd which heralded the end of his football career.
Aaron Hernandez’s Family: Brother, Wife and Daughter
The late footballer had as his elder brother Dennis Jonathan Jr. with whom he was raised by their stern father Dennis Hernandez. Dennis pushed them to excel in their academics and athletics but often abused them for no reason sometimes. He often beat them for no fault of theirs but as a result his alcohol intake. Thus, the brothers revered and feared their father to a great extent. However, they lost him in 2006 when he died as a result of complications from hernia surgery. Aaron Hernandez was said to have never really got over the death of his father.
While he lived and was a free man, Hernandez was dating Shayanna Jenkins. The two knew each other from elementary school, continued in high school and even had a daughter together. They got engaged in November 2012 after Shayanna gave birth to their daughter who they named Avielle Janelle Jenkins-Hernandez. While he was standing charges for the murder of Odin Lloyd, Shayanna stood by Aaron throughout laying credence to her love for him despite his many troubles.
Shayanna Jenkins is the sister of Shaneah Jenkins who was the fiancee to the late Odin Lloyd.
Details of His Net Worth
No doubt, Aaron Hernandez was a good football player who had most things set outright for him to ascent to the zenith of his career. However, both his career and his life were truncated by unfortunate circumstances. While he lived, Aaron amassed a net worth of about $8 million.
Was He Gay?
Aaron Hernandez disclosed that he was gay to his mother, ex-girlfriend, and lawyer while in prison. Much of the struggle he had with his attraction to his fellow men had to do with his growing up in an environment that was anti-gay, thus he hated himself for being attracted to men. He wanted to keep his true sexuality a secret but a time came when he had to open, sadly, this was in prison where his life ended.
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