Patriots ‘The Dynasty’ Recap: Episode 6, Aaron Hernandez Details
Sitting somewhat slumped before a fittingly dark grey backdrop, New England Patriots team owner Robert Kraft reflected on unarguably the most tragic time in his team’s tenure — offering this chilling description of a well-intentioned decision gone horribly wrong.
“When we bought the team, I said that we could make a difference in our community and make things better. We didn’t in this case,” Kraft said. “There are parents who wake up every day without their sons and a young daughter without her father."
When the Patriots drafted Florida tight end Aaron Hernandez in the fourth round (No. 113 overall) of the 2010 draft, they knew of both the talent and the trouble the New England native would carry with him from Gainesville back to his home region.
Episode 6 of AppleTV+’s “The Dynasty,” entitled “At All Costs,” takes a deep dive into the Pats inability (and perhaps unwillingness) to foresee the extent to which that “trouble” would outweigh the “talent.”
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“We knew that there were issues," said former Patriots football director Ernie Adams. "But you make a calculation on draft day … look we’re getting first round talent for fourth round price. And if it doesn’t work out right, we can always cut him.”
The Patriots would eventually fulfill Adams’ prophecy, but in a way no one could have imagined.
To its credit, “At All Costs” adequately portrays Hernandez’s appeal as a dynamic on-field talent along with a seemingly-genuine persona, capable of captivating his audience of the moment. Kraft even recalls a touching tribute the troubled tight end made to his late wife Myra in 2013.
"I remember when my sweet wife Myra passed away of Ovarian cancer, Aaron handed me a check for $50,000 to the fund that we had set up in her memory,” Kraft said. I said, ‘Aaron this is very sweet. You don’t have to do this.’
“And he started getting tears in his eyes. ‘No,’ he said. ‘This is very important to me. I want to do it for you.’
It really touched me. I felt he was what we wanted as the perfect Patriot player,” Kraft said.
On the field, Hernandez blended a high-level skill set with vigorous bravado to become one of the most exciting players at his position. Paired with fellow 2010 draftee Rob Gronkowski, the pair made a nearly-unstoppable tandem.
“The Patriots actually introduced this new type of offense that featured two tight ends. And together, those dudes were uncoverable," said ex-Pats receiver Donté Stallworth. "You couldn’t put a corner on those guys because they were too big. You couldn’t put a safety on them because they were too fast and too quick.”
Still, in contrast to Gronkowski’s fun-loving yet hard-working nature, a more sinister side lurked beneath the surface with Hernandez. Having lost his father when he was just 16 years old, Hernandez quickly began to spiral into a world of dangerous and often violent behavior. This pattern was cultivated during his tenure at the University of Florida — where Hernandez assaulted a bar manager in 2007 — before he made his way back to New England in 2010.
Though his teammates were impressed by his on-field ability, it became clear to them that Hernandez had alarming tendencies. From his uncomfortable locker room mannerisms, to rage-filled outbursts on the practice field, his behavior cast a cloud of anxiety over the team for much of his time in New England. Compounding the problem was the mysterious way in which both Kraft and head coach Bill Belichick seemingly allowed Hernandez to “run at will.”
“I remember thinking like, ‘why does he [Belichick] love this guy?’ I don’t get it. I don’t get it,” recalled ex-Patriots receiver Wes Welker. “But when you’re that talented, a lot of people put up with a lot of stuff.”
If Hernandez’s on-field antics were enough to give his teammates pause in befriending him, “At All Costs” makes it clear that his personal reputation was a red-flag style warning to keep their distance. Former Pats wideout Brandon Lloyd recalled being “advised” by several prominent players to stand clear of Hernandez when away from the field.
"All the warnings were, 'Do not hang out with [Hernandez's nickname] Chico. Do not. Hang out. With Chico.' That was the code," Lloyd said. "'For your own safety, do not hang out with Aaron.' So something was known."
“I saw the group he was around. I had plenty of conversations with him about removing himself from certain individuals," former teammate and neighbor Deion Branch added. "Like you’re in a different world now. You don’t need to do all that … outside altercations and all this other craziness …
I was like ‘Aaron, that’s stupid,’ Branch recounted. “But he still somehow couldn’t separate himself from that dark side.”
In June 2013, following his third season with the Patriots and less than a year after signing a $39.6 million contract extension, Hernandez was arrested and charged with the murder of semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd. In April 2015, he was found guilty of first-degree murder and was given a life sentence in prison.
In nearly a parallel timeframe, Hernandez was also indicted for a double-murder which took place outside of a Boston nightclub in 2012. Despite being acquitted of those charges, Hernandez died by suicide in his prison cell at the age of 27 on April 19, 2017.
While Hernandez’s death casts a pall over the conclusion of Episode 6, it also sheds new light on the regret felt by so many in the organization for what is best described as a horrific and senseless tragedy.
“We knew he wasn’t the ideal citizen, but did we ever suspect this was a guy that’s going to be running around with guns, shooting people? No,” said Ernie Adams. “Aaron was obviously a very talented player. I mean he got a big contract, which in retrospect, no we shouldn’t have done that,"
"Probably the best thing for Aaron Hernandez would have been to go to the Seattle Seahawks …and not be within a two-hour drive of the people he grew up with from his hometown of Bristol, CT,” Adams added. “Someone got killed. A young person lost his life because of Aaron Hernandez.”
Ultimately, the most chilling moment of “At All Costs” arguably arrives with Kraft’s pseudo act of contrition, remembering the moment Hernandez falsely convinced the team owner of his innocence.
“I found out he was working out in the weight room. I went down immediately and I said, ‘Aaron tell me, did you do this? Because if you did, I know you must have had some good reason. I’m going to get you the best defense lawyer we can get. And I’m going to do it at my cost,’ Kraft said. "And he looked me right in the eye, not blinking or anything, and said, ‘Mr. Kraft, I didn’t do that … And when he said it, I believed him.
"He actually changed my life and how I look at people because … to this day … I can’t believe I got snookered like that.”
Perhaps fittingly, Kraft takes his leave of the subject after expressing the sentiments undoubtedly felt by so many when it relates to the life and death of Aaron Josef Hernandez.
"We messed up in this one," Kraft states plainly. "And for those of you who feel pain, I apologize."
Next Up: Episode 7, “Under Pressure ” will available on AppleTV+ on Mar. 8.
