The life of disgraced NFL star Aaron Hernandez is now being explored in a new FX series. AP Photo/Elise Amendola, Pool, File) Before he was convicted of murder in 2015, Aaron Hernandez was a star tight end for the New England Patriots.
Hernandez had CTE, which can affect one’s behavior. CTE is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by a buildup of tau proteins in the supporting cells of the brain, says Timothy Morris, an assistant professor at Northeastern who specializes in traumatic brain injuries. The disease has been associated with people who’ve taken repeated blows to the head. This includes hits that don’t necessarily result in a concussion.
“We see it across professional athletes,” Morris adds. “Those who have the highest exposure are soccer players and American football players. They have more exposure to these kinds of impacts than your Sunday league player. … There’s clearly a direct exposure link between playing professional contact sports and the risk of CTE.”
CTE can manifest in emotional regulation and behavioral deficits, Morris says. This can include shifts in personality and a lack of inhibitions. It’s possible, Morris adds, that this is something Hernandez experienced as the disease set in and affected his actions.
“Everybody’s behavior is influenced by early experiences, genetics, all these things,” Brenhouse says. “We are a product of all of those things.That doesn’t mean that we’re allowed to behave any way we want. Murder and violence are egregiously bad decisions … (trauma) is not an excuse. But I think understanding how these people become this way is what we need to know in order to prevent this from happening.”
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