Professional athletes are idolized by millions of children across the world, and in America particularly, top tier football players are held as larger than life characters and are meant to be a role model for the kids who look up to them. This role is thrusted on them whether they like it or not, which is why I tend to give the athletes the benefit of the doubt. Many of these players come from impoverished neighborhoods and as soon as they turn 22 or 23 they are given multi-million dollar contracts. Combining a sport that rewards violence with forking out unimaginable amounts of money to kids that grew up without ever having to learn how to handle money is a recipe for disaster, and it sets up the young stars of the NFL to make mistakes. Aaron Hernandez is certainly a product of this dangerous combination, and while it is hard to justify the slaughter of an innocent man, perhaps the NFL can come to the conclusion that such a tragedy was avoidable. Hernandez grew up with nothing to his name, and when he left for the University of Florida to play college he took only two things, his talents and his temper.

His talents were unmistakable; he was faster, stronger, and more passionate than anyone else on the team, and soon these talents would translate to make him a star in the NFL, and with that came mass amounts of cash. In college, he was known to have a temper, pro scouts had off-field concerns that sprung from an incident in a bar during his time at the University of Florida. These concerns were overshadowed by his unique ability when the New England Patriots drafted him in the fourth round. Now, four years after leaving his home in Bristol, Connecticut, he would leave for the New England Patriots, once again taking his jaw-dropping talents and hot temper. But this time he had one more thing to his name: a [crap] load of money.

While having a hot temper does not make you a bad person, it does lead you to make terrible, unforgivable decisions if the temper is not dealt with. His temper was evident, and his crimes were hardly unpredictable. He was a young, angry player that wanted to prove something to the world, and no one along his long journey to stardom had the decency to deal with this temper of his. In many ways, Hernandez is a victim of his own superhuman ability, if it was not for his talents, a role model at some time in his life, most likely would have done something about his dangerous temper. No one ever dealt with the root of his issues- not his High School coach, not Urban Meyer at Florida, and not Bill Belichick in New England. A temper is a problem, but is not necessarily catastrophic. However, when Aaron Hernandez was introduced to more than 40 million dollars during his short time in the NFL, a catalyst was added to his temper and lack of discipline that created a dangerous chemical reaction. Now, at the tender age of 25, Hernandez will spend the longevity of his life locked up in a jail cell, and is partially because he never faced any consequences for his actions as a player.

Before the crime that locked him up for life, Hernandez was involved in three serious criminal investigations, including a bar fight and two shootings. Not one of those times was he even remotely punished or disciplined by a coach. As a young kid in the first incident, perhaps he was innocent enough to be shown a better path by an authoritative figure.

That being said, Hernandez still comes off as a brutal human being, and the vast majority of the blame falls on him and his questionable morals. The cruelness it takes to orchestrate the murder of one of your best friends goes far beyond a typical temper, and his lack of remorse for the murder hardly makes Hernandez seem like the victim of anything here. However, nothing is unavoidable, and the NFL can use this tragedy as a learning point moving forward. Hopefully the corrupt, money driven commissioner Roger Goodell will realize that it is in the best interest of himself and the league to stop covering up for these young players and putting them on a pedestal above typical morals just because they have natural talent.