WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for American Sports History.
New FX series. American sports history describes Aaron Hernandez’s behind-the-scenes experiences during the 2010 NFL Draft. Josh Rivera leads American sports history play how Aaron Hernandez, former college student and NFL superstar. who was convicted of murdering semi-professional footballer Odin Lloyd in 2015. First two episodes American sports history gain a basic understanding of Aaron Hernandez’s difficult upbringing, turbulent family life and his accelerated path to becoming a Florida Gator before joining the NFL’s New England Patriots in 2010. American sports history The third episode explores Hernandez’s celebrity status and his religious views at the University of Florida.
American sports history Episode 4, “Birthday Money,” goes into more detail about Hernandez’s transition from being a 2010 John Mackey Award winner to seeing his draft stock plummet ahead of the NFL Draft due to off-field concerns. Despite Hernandez was talented enough to become a first-round draft pick.He was ultimately drafted in the fourth round by the New England Patriots, who had one of the most proven disciplinary structures in the entire NFL. The fourth episode also features Hernandez’s longtime agent Brian Murphy, CEO of prestigious management company Athletes First, who helped Hernandez prepare for the NFL.
Murphy, played by Thomas Sadoski in American sports historyguides Hernandez in his transition from the nation’s top collegiate tight end to the harsh realities of life in the NFL. As part of his NFL scouting process at the 2010 NFL Combine, Hernandez took the Wonderlic test and scored noticeably below the average of other tight ends. As shown in the series, Hernandez scored 1 out of 10 in the Social Maturity category of the SIGMA Motivation test.which was also a wake-up call for many NFL teams. Ultimately, Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots decided to give him a chance with the 113th overall pick, signing Hernandez to an entry-level contract in 2010.
5
Jermaine Gresham
21st overall pick
Jermaine Gresham was the only tight end selected in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft, 21st overall. He signed a five-year, $14,095,000 entry-level contract with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he would play for five seasons from 2010 to 2014 (via Spotrac). In July 2015, Gresham signed a one-year contract with the Arizona Cardinals, reuniting him with former Bengals cornerback Carson Palmer. Gresham will remain with the Cardinals for the rest of his NFL career.r, who retired in 2019 after leaving the team. His career NFL stats include 377 receptions for 3,752 receiving yards and 29 touchdowns.
Gresham played three collegiate seasons for the University of Oklahoma Sooners. from 2006 to 2008. He finished his senior year with a total of 66 receptions for 950 yards and 14 touchdowns. Although Gresham has never appeared in a Super Bowl, he was named a Pro Bowler in 2011 and 2012. Gresham was also a standout basketball player before tearing his ACL and heading to the University of Oklahoma to play football. Gresham’s best statistical season came in 2012, in which he caught 64 receptions for 737 receiving yards. Ultimately, Gresham had a solid career in the NFL, although it wasn’t necessarily a standout one.
4
Rob Gronkowski
42nd overall pick
Aaron Hernandez’s teammate and fellow tight end Rob Gronkowski was selected 42nd overall by the Patriots in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft. As a second round pick, Gronkowski received larger rookie contract than Hernandez. Gronkowski signed a four-year contract worth $4,440,000. which included a signing bonus of $1,760,000. $2,530,000 of the contract was guaranteed, and Gronkowski received an average annual salary of $1,110,000 (via Spotrac). Gronkowski is considered one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history and one of the New England Patriots’ best players of all time.
Gronkowski, a 4-time Super Bowl champion, played most of his career with the New England Patriots before retiring in 2018. He came out of retirement to join Tom Brady on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 to win his fourth Super Bowl championship. He is one of the most decorated tight ends in NFL history. and he’s poised to become a first-ballot Hall of Famer when he becomes eligible in 2027. He holds two NFL records: most receiving touchdowns in a season by a tight end (18) and most receiving touchdowns in a season by a tight end (17). Gronkowski also worked as an NFL analyst and businessman after his retirement.
Rob Gronkowski talks about Aaron Hernandez’s situation in 2021saying that he”was definitely shocked“according to the news. He added:”Because being his teammate and everything, you don’t really see it. You don’t really look at players like this… this is who they are or this is what they do.” (by using Bleach Report). During the Patriots’ postseason run to the Super Bowl in 2012, Gronkowski and Hernandez were the team’s top receivers. Gronkowski had 17 receptions for 256 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns during this playoff stretch, while Hernandez had 19 receptions for 188 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns.
3
Ed Dixon
70th overall pick
Ed Dixon was selected 70th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. Dixon signed a three-year, $1.88 million entry-level contract with the Ravens that paid him an average annual salary of $625,833 (via Spotrac). Dixon played for the Ravens from 2010 to 2013 before moving on to the Carolina Panthers from 2014 to 2017 and the Seattle Seahawks from 2018 to 2019. Dixon’s overall NFL stats include 190 receptions, 2,128 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns.. Dixon’s three-year deal with the Seahawks was worth as much as $14 million, but injuries forced him to retire in 2022 after being released in 2020.
Dixon was one of the top college players to start the 2009 NFL season and was named to the John Mackey Award watch list, which ultimately went to Hernandez. When Dixon first enrolled at the University of Oregon, he played most of his freshman games as a defensive lineman before moving to the tight end position. He was a standout tight end and one of the best in the Pac-10 during the 2009 season and was selected to the All-Pac-10 first team. The Ravens also selected tight end Dennis Pitta in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft.who was taken right after the Patriots took Hernandez with the 113th overall pick.
2
Tony Moaki
93rd overall pick
Tony Moaki signed a four-year, $3.27 million entry-level contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, including $686,650 guaranteed, giving him an average annual salary of $817,413 (via Spotrac). He was selected 93rd overall by the Kansas City Chiefs in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft. He previously played for the Chiefs from 2010 to 2013. played for four separate NFL teams between 2013 and 2016.including the Buffalo Bills (2013), Seattle Seahawks (2014), Atlanta Falcons (2015) and Chicago Bears (2016). Moeaki’s NFL totals include 91 receptions for 1,201 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns.
Moeaki played for the University of Iowa from 2005 to 2009, where he became one of the most talented collegiate players in the country. He was forced to miss the entire 2011 NFL season due to injury. in a preseason game. In two playing seasons with the Chiefs, Moaki had 47 targets for 553 receiving yards and 3 touchdowns in 2010 and 56 targets for 453 receiving yards and 1 touchdown. During his short tenure with the Buffalo Bills, Moaki was only able to play in two games before being released. Moeaki was cut from the Chicago Bears at the end of training camp in 2016 and then retired.
1
Jimmy Graham
95th overall pick
Jimmy Graham is one of the best tight ends in NFL history. He was selected 95th overall by the New Orleans Saints in the late third round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Graham signed a four-year entry-level contract worth $2.46 million with an average annual salary of $613,785, and then received a franchise tag from the Saints in 2014 that paid him an annual salary of $10 million over 4 years (via Spotrac). He then signed a three-year, $30 million contract with the Green Bay Packers from 2018 to 2020 and signed a two-year, $16 million contract with the Chicago Bears from 2020 to 2021. His total NFL career earnings are $82.9 million..
Graham is a five-time Pro Bowler who led the entire NFL in receiving touchdowns during the 2013 season. His NFL career totals include 719 receptions for 8,545 receiving yards and 89 touchdowns. He returned to the New Orleans Saints for the 2023 season. and played 13 games, scoring 4 touchdowns on just 6 receptions. He was a standout tight end at the University of Miami from 2005 to 2009. He set numerous team records for receptions and catches by a tight end. Unlike Aaron Hernandez in American sports historyGraham never played in a Super Bowl, although he is considered one of the best tight ends of all time.
Source: Spotrac, Bleacher Report, Pro Football Reference, ESPN.