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Around the NFL: Aaron Hernandez found dead in apparent suicide

By Geoffrey Knox

Apr 12, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez sits at the defense table during jury deliberations in his double murder trial of at Suffolk Superior Court . Hernandez is charged in the July 2012 killings of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado who he encountered in a Boston nightclub. The former NFL football player already is serving a life sentence in the 2013 killing of semi-professional football player Odin Lloyd. Mandatory Credit: Pool photo by Keith Bedford/The Boston Globe
Apr 12, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez sits at the defense table during jury deliberations in his double murder trial of at Suffolk Superior Court . Hernandez is charged in the July 2012 killings of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado who he encountered in a Boston nightclub. The former NFL football player already is serving a life sentence in the 2013 killing of semi-professional football player Odin Lloyd. Mandatory Credit: Pool photo by Keith Bedford/The Boston Globe /
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Former Gators and Patriots star Aaron Hernandez was found dead in his cell earlier this morning.

Former Florida Gators and New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez wasn’t drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles. He never played a snap for the team that many of us have loved our entire lives. He never heard the cheers of the fans who show up at Lincoln Financial Field each time the Eagles take the field. Truthfully, most of what we know about him comes from other sources. We’ve either read what other publications had to say, or we’ve seen his highlights.

With all of that being said, he’s still on the minds of many Eagles fans this morning. Unfortunately, it isn’t for a reason that many of us would like to have him on our minds. Hernandez was part of a fraternity of players who entertain us every year from August until the first weekend in February. He played a game that many of us would consider to be our favorite game on the planet. Then, due to some wrong decisions on his part, he lost that opportunity.

Sad news from Leominster:

We’re sad to say that sad story that a depressing story has reached an even more depressing conclusion. Hernandez, on April 19th, 2017 was found dead in his cell. The cause of death was reported to be hanging, and it’s being treated like a suicide. His death was officially pronounced at around 4:07 AM EST by UMASS Memorial Health Alliance Hospital in Leominster, where he was transported. He was only 27 years old.

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For those that may be unaware:

Hernandez was serving a life sentence at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Facility for a murder conviction. Just days ago, he was acquitted in a double murder case. Department of Correction spokesman Christopher Fallon issued a statement informing us that an investigation is ongoing. We don’t know a ton other than they haven’t found a suicide letter, and there was apparently no evidence of depression to that point. If there had been, facility officials would have moved him from the single cell that he was in to the mental health unit.

This serves as a reminder that no one is immune to experiencing the low points in life, not even the gladiators we cheer for every Sunday. Football, though we love it so much, is only a game. It’s filled with real people who make mistakes, and they deal with things in so many different ways, sometimes negatively. We at Inside The Iggles are saddened that Hernandez is no longer with us, and our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones and with his family.

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