Why Aaron Hernandez’s head hurts in American Sports Story

The Hulu/FX Limited Series American Sports Story Portraying a young Aaron Hernandez received some big hits during his football career. The first two episodes of American Sports StoryWhich premiered on September 17, 2024, on FX, catch a basic understanding of Aaron Hernandez’s complicated upbringing, tumultuous family life and accelerated path to becoming a Florida Gator and New England Patriot. American Sports Story Portrays several NFL players and coaches in addition to Hernandez, including superstar tight end Rob Gronkowski, legendary Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, and the Patriots’ billionaire owner Robert Kraft.

Josh Rivera leads the American Sports Story Cast as Hernandez, a former college and NFL superstar who was convicted of killing semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd in 2015. Hernandez was found guilty of killing Lloyd, who was his girlfriend’s sister’s boyfriend, on June 17, 2013, just two Months earlier the Patriots offered him a five-year, $40 million contract. He was arrested on first-degree murder charges just days after Lloyd’s death, due to an overwhelming amount of circumstantial evidence against him. After receiving a life sentence in 2015, he was put on trial again in 2017 for an unsolved double murder case that took place in Boston in 2012.

Aaron Hernandez’s head hurts because of his multiple concussions

Concussions are unfortunately common in football and the NFL

Some scenes in the first two episodes of American Sports Story Depict Hernandez took violent blows to the head during high school and collegiate football games at the University of Florida. The series subtly includes the short but very impressive moments Because of the psychological and biological effect they would have collectively on the life and mind of Aaron Hernandez. Although Hernandez is proven to be a convicted killer, the multiple concussions he suffered during his football career, including his three seasons with the New England Patriots, are believed to be linked to his unstable mindset with evidence and support from scientists.

Concussions are unfortunately quite common in football, especially in the NFL, which recently changed its official protocol on concussions during NFL games. As of 2022, after Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was carted off the field with a head injury, the NFL has a new rule in effect that prohibits players showing signs of ataxia, a neurological symptom that indicates loss of musical coordination, from returning to the Game. Hernandez has officially had one concussion during his time with the New England Patriots But did not miss any games, playing through the compromising head injury (by Mass life).

Aaron Hernandez was diagnosed with severe CTE after his death

Hernadez’s story cannot be fully told without considering the effects of CTE

After Aaron’s death by suicide in 2017, his family donated his brain to Boston University’s CTE Center for examination. CTE, or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated trauma to the head that can result in various cognitive and behavioral problems. According to a 2023 study from Boston University’s CTE Center, 345 of 376 deceased former NFL players studied had CTECreating a shockingly high diagnosis rate of 91.7% (by Boston University). Among the 376 NFL players was Aaron Hernandez, who was given a stage 3 CTE diagnosis.

Aaron Hernadnez’s CTE diagnosis provided potential avenues for understanding his sudden and seemingly unmotivated act of violence. According to a 2020 study published by the National Library of Medicine“It is certainly true that after a posthumous diagnosis of CTE, understandings of Hernandez’s behavior change significantly: his guilt (for both his criminal behavior and his suicide) is questioned and diminished; His aggression is no longer invisible monstrosity and is brought into contact with the lived experience of caregivers who support people with dementia. CTE, of course, was involved in the story of Aaron Hernandez.” Several other NFL players who have advanced cases of CTE, including former New England Patriot Junior Seau who retired the year before Hernandez was drafted, Also died by suicide (by SportsKeeda).

Aaron Hernandez’s CTE diagnosis shocked researchers

He had the worst case of any young man ever seen before

Aaron Hernandez not only had an advanced case of CTE, but he also had a historic case. According to Boston University, Hernadnez’s CTE is said to be the worst degree for any young person What the BU CTE Center has ever seen, even in cases of non-football players. Ann McKee, director of BU’s CTE Center, said, “We have never seen … in our 468 brains, except for people very much older. People with similar gross findings … were at least 46 years old at the time of death.” She added, “Every place we looked, it was classic CTE. This is considerable damage that no doubt took years to develop.” Hernandez’s CTE is another tragic component of his life in American Sports Story.

Source: Mass Live, Boston University, National Library of Medicine, SportsKeeda