The more we hear about Aaron Hernandez, the more we realize how many warning signs the New England Patriots were given prior to and after drafting him in the 2010 NFL Draft. We all knew about the failed drug tests because of Hernandez’s marijuana habit, but it has become obvious that the issues ran much deeper than that.
In the wake of the ongoing murder investigation that has resulted in a warrant reportedly being issued for the 23-year-old’s arrest, stories about Hernandez’s past have been popping up all over. One of them, from Shalise Manza Young of the Boston Globe, cites an NFL source who claims Hernandez blew a gasket on former Patriots receiver Wes Welker within days of being drafted.
According to the source, Hernandez could not figure out how to use the equipment in the film room and asked Welker for help. Welker decided to welcome him to the NFL by jokingly saying “rookie, you figure it out,” which infuriated Hernandez. The story said the former Gator “responded with expletives” but Shalise Manza Young elaborated on Twitter.
“Hernandez response was, ‘F— you, Wes, I’ll f— you up!'” she wrote.
And apparently, Hernandez was not joking.
[Related: Neighbors reportedly heard gunshots morning of murder]
The Globe also cited NFL scouts and former Florida staffers who said there have always been concerns about the people Hernandez hangs out with and the fact that he spends more personal time with his friends from Connecticut than his teammates. One scout said Hernandez had trouble keeping himself on a straight path after his father died from hernia surgery complications the year before he left Connecticut for Florida.
Another scout said Hernandez was considered the toughest kid on the Gators team and “no one will mess with him.”
A player with a temper and an attitude problem is one thing. The Patriots took a risk drafting Hernandez, but no one could have foreseen a murder investigation that involves destroying potential evidence.
See all the LBS coverage of the Aaron Hernandez murder case
