Cam Newton Once Defended Aaron Hernandez’s Character, Igniting Debate over Convicted Murderer’s Legacy

Cam Newton in an interview in 2021 claimed that he knew the pure hearted and passionate Aaron Hernandez before he turned to the dark side like Anakin Skywalker.

Cam Newton Once Defended Aaron Hernandez’s Character, Igniting Debate over Convicted Murderer’s Legacy

Cam Newton and Aaron Hernandez (Image via IMAGO)

Cam Newton shared a locker room with several famous names when he played football, but none were better and closer to him than late tight end Aaron Hernandez. Newton’s friendship with Hernandez grew when they were teammates at the Florida Gators.

Newton’s rare emotional side slipped out while shooting for an episode of I Am Athlete in 2021 about Hernandez. He saw the big talent Hernandez was before everything went downhill.

The way [Aaron is] portrayed as a villain, that’s not him. Don’t get me wrong, in all respects of what happened, there were bodies that were damaged, and I’m not denying that what was done was bad. But I knew a beautiful soul. He was fun-loving, and he just wanted to make it to the league.

Cam Newton said

Newton did not deny that Hernandez had mixed with the wrong crowd. However, according to police records, the Bristol, Connecticut, native was part of shady dealings even before starting college in Florida.

As a matter of fact, when the court proceedings began following Hernandez’s Hollywood-esque arrest, which was telecast live on TV, the cops linked him to another murder prior to the one he was taken into custody, on June 26, 2013.

The 2007 Gainesville incident witnessed the murder of two people. Police questioned several football players, including a young Hernandez. They kept tabs on him, despite letting him off the hook.

Five years later, Hernandez became the second-highest-paid tight end by signing a $41 million contract with the New England Patriots, of which he donated $50,000 to a charity. A year later, the entire world saw the cops handcuff Hernandez for the murder of Odin Lloyd, a semi-pro football player whose body was found in an industrial park in North Attleboro, Mass., near Hernandez’s home.

The Patriots released him immediately after the police pressed charges against him for the murder of Lloyd. The police also retrieved a firearm and various substances from his Boston crib.

In April 2015, Hernandez’s fiancee, Shayanna Jenkins, sought immunity from the court for testifying against Hernandez, which was approved. Two years later, the court found Hernandez not guilty of the murder of the two individuals in Florida.

However, five days later, on April 19, Aaron Hernandez was found hanging from a jail cell at the Souza Baranowski Correctional Center just after 3 a.m. ET. He was only 27 years old.

Shayanna Jenkins was disgusted after a cruel joke was pulled against Aaron Hernandez at Tom Brady’s roast

In May 2024, celebrities from various corners gathered under one roof to roast football GOAT Tom Brady. One joke contained a slight dig at Brady’s former teammate Hernandez.

Cam Newton Once Defended Aaron Hernandez’s Character, Igniting Debate Over Convicted Murderer’s Legacy
Aaron Hernandaz (Image via IMAGO)

Ironically, that joke was made by Brady as a reply to comedian Nikki Glaser.

The bar for a Patriots tight end was pretty low back then—block, catch, don’t murder.

In an interview, Jenkins revealed that she did not appreciate Brady taking a pass at her dead husband, who was his teammate for several years.

It’s sad that I’m trying to raise my children in such a cruel world.

Shayanna Jenkins said

Hernandez had a daughter named Avielle with Jenkins a year before his arrest in 2012. He played three seasons in New England, appearing in 38 games, making 175 catches for 1956 yards and 18 touchdowns.

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