Aaron Hernandez suspect in homicide case

As you may have heard, Patriots tight end has made headlines for all the wrong reasons as he is considered a suspect in a homicide. Ever since he and fellow tight end Rob Gronkowski were drafted by the Patriots in 2010, I've continued to see Gronk making headlines as a "knucklehead" partying with his shirt off and what not and to say the least, it took some time for me to get used it. Because it doesn't resemble the "Patriot way," that I (and all Pats fans) have become accustomed to. And hearing of Hernandez's recent situation I am thrilled knowing that Gronk is just dancing and having fun.

Since being named a possible suspect in the homicide of 27 year old Odin Lloyd, who was said to be an "associate" of Hernandez, reports have surfaced regarding Hernandez's plummet in the 2010 draft that saw him fall to the fourth round. Up until now, I thought he fell due to his reported issues using marijuana during his years at the University of Florida, but apparently NFL front offices were wary of selecting him for different reasons. Reports have stated that Hernandez may have had gang relations in his hometown of Bristol, Connecticut. Tom E. Curran of Comcast Sports Net New England said in a recent article that, "Hernandez has been a full-time project for the Patriots in terms of trying to keep him focused and monitoring his decision-making." All of this time I thought that Hernandez was the more mature and responsible of the two tight ends the Patriots drafted three years ago; seeing how he conducted himself and that he was very dedicated to his craft. Boy, was I wrong. It's also been said in reports that Hernandez had been trying to distance himself from the crowd he associated with for so long.

Regardless of what happens to Hernandez in this case it should be a wake-up call. He is 24 years old, one of the most dynamic tight ends the league has ever seen, he has the potential to do great things, and he has an infant daughter who needs him. So many NFL players before him have ruined their careers all because of poor choices and hanging around with the wrong crowd. A man's life was taken and if Hernandez had anything to do with it- and as of now, it sure sounds like he did- then he should be punished and suffer the consequences. I'm tired of professional athletes getting off easy because they can pay people off.. Odin Lloyd had some form of family and now they have lost him- their son, brother, cousin, nephew, etc.- at the young age of 27. My thoughts, and hopefully yours, are with his family at this time.