The name used to span from shoulder to shoulder on the backs of young children and other fans of the New England Patriots.  However in recent weeks “Hernandez” circulates the news and stretches across the ticker almost everyday.

    Even those who do not follow the sport or have any interest in the game of football have come to be familiar with the name Aaron Hernandez, and most have grown to despise the man for the alleged murder of Odin Lloyd in June.

    Hernandez has been the Patriots’ tight end since 2012 up until his arrested at his home in North Attleboro for the shooting of Lloyd, a player for the Bandits, a semi-professional football team in Boston.

    Hernandez and Lloyd had been connected for the past two years through their girlfriends which explains the men’s hanging out and partying.  But this sure does not explain why in the early morning of June 17, Lloyd was shot five times in the chest and back.  The body was then discovered less than a mile from Hernandez’s mansion with sufficient evidence that led police to believe Hernandez was involved in the murder.  Such evidence includes an additional apartment just 11 miles from the site of the murder.  In the apartment, police found ammunition, video footage of Hernandez at a convenient store buying gum.  The gum wrappers were then found in his rented vehicle. Much more suspicion have led police to believe the former football player’s involvement in the issue.  These clues accompany video footage of Hernandez at certain convenience store and gas stations leading up to the killing.

    As of now, Hernandez is behind bars at the Bristol County House of Corrections and has just been denied bail, meaning he will remain there until his trial which will consist of charges for first-degree murder and for five gun charges.

    The latest on Hernandez is his letter from jail in response to a fan’s letter of encouragement to him.  The fan once spent time in the Bristol County House of Corrections as well, and in the letter from Hernandez, he states his innocents and talks of someday returning to the NFL, but sophomore Kevin Power said, “He killed a guy and will be proven guilty.  He will not play a game of football for the rest of his life.  It is too bad because he was filthy.”

    Like Power, many citizens feel the same way about the ex-Patriots’ career and future.  Returning to the NFL seems very unlikely, because new evidence has evolved to make authorities believe Hernandez may have been involved in a double homicide in 2012.

    Having a mansion in North Attleboro, a fiance, a new baby, and multi-million dollar contract to play for the New England Patriots would appear to be a fantasy and dream for many people, however this was quickly thrown away with allegations of Hernandez’s possible involvement in a murder.  Senior Matt Gavis said “he had everything you could ever want and threw it away for nothing” , which is what many people think when hearing of the murder case.

    Hernandez was a former talented and successful athlete that many New Englanders looked up to with admiration, but with the news regarding his illegal and secret behavior, opinions have changed.  It would not be surprising to hear his biggest fans say they would hope for him to be proven guilty of murder.  The public will not know the decision of the court until the trial is held in the future, and not only will the public be waiting in suspense, but especially the Scituate community and other New England fans as he was once a force on the football field that we have cheered for and routed on.