Rob Gronkowski usually avoids commenting on former teammate Aaron Hernandez, but in an interview for the 10 Questions with Kyle Brandt podcast, the footballer opened up.
“Aaron was a great player. He was a great football player. But, I mean, I get questions like that all the time about him and everything. And with everything going on, I was definitely shook when I heard that, when I heard everything about it,” Gronkowski said.
Gronkowski and Hernandez were both tight ends for the New England Patriots. In 2013, Hernandez was arrested for the murder of Odin Lloyd. Gronkowski told Brandt only knew Hernandez as a teammate.
“You’re not really looking into players like ‘that’s who they are’ or ‘that’s what they’re doing,’ “Gronkowski said. “But just overall, I just try to keep it simple and light. He was a great football player, but that does not mean anything.”
On April 19, 2017, Hernandez committed suicide in his Massachusetts prison cell.
