Aaron Hernandez Aaron Michael Hernandez ( born November 6 , 1989 ) is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent . Hernandez played college football for the University of Florida , where he was a member of a BCS National Championship team and earned All - American honors . He was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft , and was selected for the Pro Bowl following his second NFL season . On August 22 , 2013 , Hernandez was indicted by a grand jury for the murder of Odin Lloyd , and is currently being investigated in connection with other murders in Massachusetts . Hernandez maintains his innocence . The Patriots released Hernandez on June 26 , 2013 , shortly after officers from the North Attleboro , Massachusetts Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police arrested him at his home . He is currently being held without bail at the Bristol County Jail . Early years . Hernandez was born in Bristol , Connecticut , to Dennis Hernandez , who was of Puerto Rican descent , and Terri Valentine - Hernandez , who is of Italian descent . His father died from complications from hernia surgery in January 2006 , when Hernandez was 16 . Hernandez ' s father — who was known as " The King " in the city of Bristol — along with his uncle ( and father ' s twin brother ) , David , were local sports stars in their youth but also reportedly got into street fights and were involved in various crimes including assault and petty larceny . The pair would eventually straighten their lives when they became fathers . By all accounts Dennis was a doting father who instilled a hard work discipline in his two sons ; honing their athletic abilities , and emphasizing the importance of education . According to his mother , his father ' s death greatly affected the younger Hernandez , leading him to rebel against authority figures . He attended Bristol Central High School and played for the Rams as a wide receiver . As a senior , he was the Connecticut Gatorade Football Player of the Year after making 67 reception s for 1 , 807 yards and 24 touchdowns on offense and 72 tackles , 12 sacks , three forced fumble s , two fumble recoveries , and four blocked kicks on defense . The 1 , 807 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns were a state record and his 31 career touchdowns tied the state record . He also set the state record for receiving yards in a single game with 376 , which was the seventh best total in national high school history , and set a national high school record for yards receiving per game with 180 . 7 . Hernandez was considered the top tight end recruit in 2007 by " Scout . com " . College career . At first he committed to play for the University of Connecticut , but Hernandez ultimately enrolled at the University of Florida , where he played for coach Urban Meyer ' s Florida Gators football team from 2007 to 2009 . As a true freshman in 2007 , Hernandez appeared in 13 games for the Gators , starting three . He finished the season with nine receptions for 151 yards and two touchdowns . As a sophomore in 2008 , he started 11 of 13 games in place of the injured Cornelius Ingram , and finished the season with 34 receptions for 381 yards and five touchdowns . In the 2009 BCS National Championship Game against the Oklahoma Sooners , Hernandez led the Gators in receiving yards with 57 on five receptions , as the Gators defeated the Sooners 24 – 14 to win their second national championship in three seasons . As a junior in 2009 , Hernandez won the John Mackey Award , given annually to the nation ' s best tight end , after leading the Gators in receptions with 68 for 850 yards and five touchdowns . He was also a first - team All - Southeastern Conference selection and was recognized as a first - team All - American by the Associated Press , " College Football News " and the " The Sporting News . " Hernandez finished his college career with 111 receptions for 1 , 382 yards and 12 touchdowns . After his junior year , he decided to forgo his senior season and enter the 2010 NFL Draft . Professional career . New England Patriots . Hernandez was drafted by the New England Patriots in the fourth round ( 113th overall ) of the 2010 NFL Draft . The previous day , the Patriots drafted another tight end , Rob Gronkowski . Shortly after he was drafted , " The Boston Globe " reported Hernandez had admitted to marijuana use and had failed multiple drug tests while in college , causing his draft stock to drop . Later that day , the Patriots released a statement from Hernandez , who said he had failed only one drug test while in college and was candid about it to interested teams at the NFL Scouting Combine . Hernandez signed a four - year contract on June 8 , 2010 . The contract included a signing bonus of $ 200 , 000 — less than half the bonus received by Patriots fourth - round pick placekicker Stephen Gostkowski in 2006 . To compensate for the small signing bonus , the deal also includes a series of roster and workout bonuses that add up to an additional $ 700 , 000 , which means that " Hernandez can wind up getting the money a third - rounder would over four years , but he ' s gotta walk the straight and narrow line to do so . " 2010 season . Hernandez started the 2010 season as the youngest player on any active roster in the NFL . In Week 2 , against the New York Jets , he caught six passes for 101 yards , making him the youngest player since 1960 to have 100 yards receiving in a single game . In the Patriots ' Week 3 victory over the Buffalo Bills , Hernandez led all Patriots receivers with six catches for 65 yards , and had one rush for 13 yards . In the Patriots ' Week 9 loss against the Cleveland Browns , Hernandez caught his first career touchdown on a one - yard pass from quarterback Tom Brady , and added another touchdown later in the game . In Week 15 , Hernandez caught two touchdown passes from Brady in a win over the Green Bay Packers , earning Hernandez Pepsi NFL Rookie of the Week honors . He finished the 2010 season with 45 receptions for 563 yards and six touchdowns in 14 games played ( 7 starts ) . 2011 season . For his first season in the NFL , Hernandez wore the # 85 jersey . In July 2011 during training camp , wide receiver Chad Johnson came to the team from a trade with the Cincinnati Bengals . Hernandez immediately let Johnson , who then legally had his last name as " Ochocinco " based on his uniform number , have the # 85 , choosing to go back to his college number of # 81 , which had been taken by Randy Moss from 2007 until his mid - season trade to the Vikings in 2010 . Through Week 15 , Hernandez played in 12 of the Patriots ' 14 games , starting 10 ; for the second season in a row , Hernandez missed two regular - season games with a knee injury . He set career bests in receptions and yards in Week 15 , against the Denver Broncos , with nine catches for 129 yards and one touchdown . Hernandez and teammate Rob Gronkowski are the first pair of tight ends in NFL history to score at least five touchdowns each in consecutive seasons for the same team ; both rank in the top 20 among all receivers in number of catches . In December 2011 , Hernandez was named a Pro Bowl alternate during the season . In the NFL playoffs , Hernandez had the longest run of the postseason , a 42 - yard run against the Denver Broncos on the Patriots ' first offensive drive of the game . Hernandez helped lead the Patriots to Super Bowl XLVI but the Patriots lost the game to the Giants 17 - 21 . 2012 season . Hernandez was sidelined during the Patriot ' s Week 2 game against the Arizona Cardinals with a high ankle sprain and missed several weeks . On December 10 , during the Monday Night Football game against the Houston Texans , Hernandez recorded 8 receptions for 58 yards and two touchdowns . On August 27 , 2012 , the Patriots signed Hernandez to a five - year extension , running through 2018 , that included a $ 12 . 5 million signing bonus , the largest signing bonus ever given to an NFL tight end , and the second - largest extension ever , after teammate Rob Gronkowski ' s $ 53 million extension . Gronkowski - Hernandez tandem . At the start of the 2011 season , Hernandez was one of only two tight ends on the roster ; the other was his fellow 2010 draftee Rob Gronkowski . Although Hernandez ' s stats were eclipsed by Gronkowski ' s , Hernandez still ranked in the top 5 in receptions , yards , and touchdowns among tight ends ; according to NBC Sports , Hernandez and Gronkowski are the first pair of tight ends in NFL history to catch 5 touchdown passes in consecutive seasons with the same team . In 2011 they also set NFL records for yardage , receptions , and touchdowns by tight ends on one team , combining for 169 receptions , 2 , 237 yards , and 24 touchdowns . The previous records for receptions and yards by tight ends on a single team was set in 1984 by the San Diego Chargers , who had four tight ends combine for 163 receptions and 1 , 927 yards ; the 24 touchdowns eclipsed the record of 18 touchdowns caught by Gronkowski , Hernandez , and Alge Crumpler in 2010 . Personal life . Aaron Hernandez has been dating Shayanna Jenkins since 2007 . They have a daughter , Avielle Janelle , who was born in November 2012 . That same month , Hernandez purchased a four - story home , with an in - ground pool , in North Attleboro , Massachusetts , for $ 1 . 3 million . Legal troubles . 2007 Gainesville bar fight . On May 4 , 2007 , Hernandez consumed two drinks in The Swamp restaurant in Gainesville , Florida , and refused to pay his bill because he disagreed with restaurant employee , Michael Taphorn , over the amount of the bill . Hernandez and Taphorn argued for several minutes , and Taphorn began to walk away . Hernandez punched him in the side of the head , and doctors would later diagnose Taphorn with a ruptured eardrum . Hernandez received deferred prosecution . 2012 Boston double homicide . On June 27 , 2013 , law enforcement sources told the media that Hernandez was being investigated in connection with a double murder that took place on July 16 , 2012 , in Boston ' s South End when Daniel Jorge Correia de Abreu , 29 , and Safiro Teixeira Furtado , 28 , both of Dorchester , were killed by gunshots fired into their vehicle . 2013 Miami shooting lawsuit . On June 13 , 2013 , Alexander S . Bradley , described as a friend of Hernandez , filed a lawsuit against Hernandez in a Florida federal court . Bradley claimed that on February 13 , 2013 , Hernandez had shot him while the two were riding in a car on Interstate 95 in Palm Beach County , following an altercation at a Miami strip club ; Bradley alleged that he lost his right eye as a result . When police came to assist Bradley , he declined to name his assailant , and no arrest was made at the time . Bradley ' s lawsuit was dismissed on June 17 , 2013 , as a result of incorrect paperwork , and refiled on June 19 , 2013 . On September 3 , 2013 , Hernandez ' s lawyers filed a postponement request in federal court until his murder charges are resolved . They say it would be legally unfair to Hernandez to permit the lawsuit to continue while he is defending himself in the shooting death of 27 - year - old Odin Lloyd . 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd . On June 18 , 2013 , Hernandez ' s house in North Attleboro was searched by police for several hours in connection with an investigation into the shooting death of a friend , Odin Lloyd . Lloyd ' s body was found in an industrial park about a mile away from Hernandez ' s house with multiple gunshot wounds to the back and chest . The Massachusetts State Police obtained a search warrant after evidence surfaced that Hernandez intentionally destroyed his home security system . A cell phone belonging to Hernandez was turned over to police " in pieces " and Hernandez allegedly hired a " team of house cleaners " the same day Lloyd ' s body was discovered , raising additional suspicion . On June 20 , 2013 , the " Boston Herald " reported that Hernandez had been " barred " from Gillette Stadium by the Patriots . According to NFL . com , Patriots owner Robert Kraft decided to have Patriots staff ask Hernandez to leave because he did not want Gillette to be " the site of a media stakeout . " However , the " Boston Globe " reported that the Patriots front office had decided days before Hernandez ' s arrest that if Hernandez were arrested on any charge related to the case , even an obstruction of justice charge , he would be released . On June 26 , 2013 , Hernandez was taken from his home in handcuffs and into police custody . The Patriots released Hernandez about 90 minutes later , before officially knowing the charges against him . Their press release stated : A young man was murdered last week and we extend our sympathies to the family and friends who mourn his loss . Words cannot express the disappointment we feel knowing that one of our players was arrested as a result of this investigation . We realize that law enforcement investigations into this matter are ongoing . We support their efforts and respect the process . At this time , we believe this transaction is simply the right thing to do . Later that day , Hernandez was charged with first - degree murder , in addition to five gun - related charges ; if convicted of first - degree murder , Hernandez faces life in prison without the possibility of parole ; Hernandez cannot face the death penalty , as the state of Massachusetts abolished the death penalty in 1984 . He is currently being held without bail at the Bristol County Jail . Two other men were also arrested in connection with Lloyd ' s death : Carlos Ortiz , on June 27 , 2013 , and Ernest Wallace on June 28 , 2013 . Ortiz revealed to the police that Hernandez had secretly rented an apartment in Franklin , Massachusetts . A subsequent search of the apartment , according to the Associated Press , " turned up ammunition and clothing that police believe could be evidence in the murder case against him " . On August 22 , 2013 , Aaron Hernandez was indicted by a grand jury for the murder of Odin Lloyd . On September 6 , 2013 , Hernandez was arraigned and pled not guilty to first - degree murder . He will be held without bail , but reserved the right to request bail later . Aftermath . Hernandez ' s arrest and subsequent termination led to financial and other consequences for both Hernandez and the New England Patriots . For Hernandez : For the Patriots :