WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for American Sports Story.
FX’sAmerican Sports Storydepicts Aaron Hernandez asking Patriots head coach Bill Belichick for a trade ahead of the 2013 NFL season. Josh Rivera leads theAmerican Sports StorycastasAaron Hernandez, the former collegiate and NFL superstar tight endwho was convicted ofmurdering semi-pro football player Odin Lloydin 2015.American Sports Storyportrays several NFL players, including Hernandez, Rob Gronkowski, Tom Brady, and Tim Tebow.
American Sports Storyepisode 7portrays the growing paranoia of Hernandez after shooting his friend Sherrod after the two went to a Miami nightclub. In real life, Alexander “Sherrod” Bradley lost his right eye after being shot in the face with a handgun and accused Hernandez of pulling the trigger.Hernandez never admitted to the crime and was never chargedwith the attempted murder of Sherrod. It’s believed, however, that he became so intimidated to the point where he asked the Patriots for a trade.
New episodes ofAmerican Sports Storyair every Tuesday at 10 PM on FX.
Aaron Hernandez Did Ask For A Trade From The Patriots In 2013
He asked to be released or traded to a West Coast team
As depicted inAmerican Sports Storyepisode 7, Hernandez did actually request to be traded from the New England Patriots in 2013 just one year into his$40 million contract extension. According to ESPN, “Aaron Hernandez was worried about the safety of his fiancée and daughter when he came to Bill Belichick in February 2013 seeking a trade.” Based on the information and context presented in the series, it appears that the real-lifeHernandez felt intimidated by Sherrod after discovering he was still alive.
American Sports Story Aaron Hernandez Soundtrack Guide: Every Song And When They Play
FX’s new series American Sports Story features a robust and relevant soundtrack full of 2000s hip-hop classics and collegiate fight songs.
Belichick told police officers in North Attleborough, Massachusetts in 2013 that Hernandez was worried that “people might potentially harm"his fiancée Shayanaa Jenkinsand his newborn child. Hernandez specifically requested to Belichick that the Patriotseither trade him or release him to a West Coast teamwhere he and his family would feel safer. There’s no evidence that Belichick knew exactly who Hernandez was afraid of. However, he did offer the assistance of the Patriots' security team.
Why The Patriots Didn’t Trade Aaron Hernandez In 2013
Financial and gameplay reasons kept Hernandez in New England
Bill Belichick turned down Hernandez’s request to be traded due to several factors. The most obvious reason is thatthe Patriots had just doubled down on their big investment in running a two-tight-end offensive schemethat involved Rob Gronkowski and Hernandez. This offensive strategy was a major reason why they were able to make it to Super Bowl XLVI in 2012.
Hernandez was locked into a $40 million extension andreleasing him would put the Patriots in a major financial and salary cap hole. Gronkowski and Hernandez were also the pillars of the Patriots offense at the time. Belichick, who has won more Super Bowls than any other NFL coach in history, was not going to let Hernandez walk away over off-the-field concerns. It’s also reasonable to infer that Belichick didn’t know how serious the threat that Hernandez faced was. All these reasons explain why Hernandez stayed in New England inAmerican Sports Story.
American Sports Story
Cast
American Sports Story is a TV show from Stu Zicherman and executive produced by Ryan Murphy. The series stars Josh Andrés Rivera as Aaron Hernandez and Patrick Schwarzenegger as Tim Tebow. The sports anthology series serves as the fourth installment in Murphy’s “American Story” franchise.
