The descent and death of the former NFL star showed us that we can never really know those who live their lives under the public gaze
On a gloomy late spring morning in 2013, Aaron Hernandez gave his final football interview. It came at the end of a mini-camp practice on the day the New England Patriots signed his college quarterback Tim Tebow. And Tebow’s arrival had caused an immense stir. As the workout ended and Hernandez walked off the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium, he was engulfed by a throng of reporters.
Hernandez seemed polite enough as he stood holding his silver Patriots helmet, answering questions about Tebow. But he seemed impatient. His responses were short, and strangely devoid of insight about a quarterback who had helped make him a star at the University of Florida. His voice lacked warmth. He struck me that day as a man detached from the team on the field beside him.
Related: Aaron Hernandez, ex-NFL star, kills himself in prison cell at age 27
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