FX greenlights 10-episode series about rise, fall of Aaron Hernandez

A new 10-episode limited series will highlight the life and death of former Florida and New England Patriots star tight end Aaron Hernandez, and FX has now set a premiere date for the series, titled American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez.

The series will debut on Sept. 17, with the first installment set to air then, according to Deadline.

The lead role will be played by actor Josh Rivera, who has starred in films like The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes and West Side Story.

The series also stars Jaylen Barron (Shayanna Jenkins), Lindsay Mendez (Tanya Singleton), Ean Castellanos (DJ Hernandez), Tammy Blanchard (Terri Hernandez), Tony Yazbeck (Urban Meyer), Patrick Schwarzenegger (Tim Tebow), Thomas Sadoski (Brian Murphy), Jake Cannavale (“Chris”) and Norbert Leo Butz (Bill Belichick).

The aim of the series is to chart the rise and fall of Hernandez, as well as explore the disparate strands of his identity, his family, his career, his suicide and their legacy in sports and American culture.

Aaron Hernandez, of course, starred at Florida as one of the nation’s top tight ends before turning pro in 2010. He was selected by the Patriots in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft, then quickly emerged as a star.

But his story turned dark during the 2013 NFL offseason, when Hernandez was arrested and charged for the murder of Odin Lloyd, a semi-pro football player who was dating the sister of Hernandez’s fiancee at the time.

Aaron Hernandez’s football career was over at that point, with the Patriots quickly releasing him. Florida also quickly distanced itself from the former 2009 John Mackey Award winner, stripping all signage and recognition of Hernandez on campus.

The former football star was also indicted for a double murder, but he was acquitted after a 2017 trial. Just days after that acquittal, Hernandez was found dead in his prison cell, with officials ruling it a suicide.

Aaron Hernandez has been previously featured in popular media, with the Boston Globe running a spotlight team investigation and a podcast called Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez & Football, Inc. and Netflix featuring a documentary called Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez.