Semi-OT: Aaron Hernandez investigation with Urban Meyer linked to past incidents

Submitted by boliver46 on

Aaron Hernandez - TE from Florida who is now a New England Patriot is under investigation for a shooting.  Further investigation into his past reveals a history of being linked to violent crimes, most notably during his time at Florida under Urban Meyer.

I have many Ohio State friends who like to downplay the crime wave that happened under the watch of Urban Meyer - this article depicts it best:

"The Urban Meyer era in Gainesville was marred by a long list of varying criminal charges and investigations, as at least 25 of his players were arrested between 2005 and 2010. In 2009, the Sentinel called local defense attorney Huntley Johnson the team's "defensive MVP" for his work in handling a majority of the student-athletes' cases. After taking the Ohio State job in November 2011, Meyer said that the arrests during his time at Florida were “exaggerated."

I definitely plan to pass this on to my Urban Meyer loving friends that are in denial.

LINK

 

***UPDATE - more details on the case makes things look even grimmer for Hernandez***

Update Link

Highlight: ABC News is reporting that police plan to return to Hernandez’s home on Thursday with another warrant based on evidence that the former Florida Gator “destroyed his home security system. ”The report also states that Hernandez’s cell phone was submitted to police “in pieces” and that a team of house cleaners were hired on Monday to clean the football player’s mansion. We are all entitled to the presumption innocence until proven guilty. But how many individuals involved in no wrongdoing whatsoever destroy their home security systems and cell phones?

jsquigg

June 20th, 2013 at 4:41 PM ^

Here's the problem with you passing along the article to your Ohio friends:  They don't care.  Ohio fans only care when the team doesn't win.  The whole team could end up in a major cover up involving pedophilia and the fans would defend them if they are winning.  You're either preaching to the choir (Michigan fan) or the choir doesn't care (Ohio fan, MSU fan).  Unfortunately, many major programs get away with much more than other programs because of what they bring in for the NCAA (see the SEC).  For most of these fans, the only morality is the win-loss column.

denardogasm

June 20th, 2013 at 5:06 PM ^

Question for the MgoLawyer contingent: If he successfully, but not secretly, cleared up the evidence by destroying his phone/security system, is there actually a way to pin this on him?  I know next to nothing about the law besides slow down when you see a cop, but this seems like a pretty easy way of getting away with murder.  Just lure someone to your house at night where there are no neighbors within shouting distance then destroy the evidence so it appears this dead man just walked to your house and laid down.  Does the fact that he obviously did this all himself factor in at all?

JamieH

June 20th, 2013 at 6:10 PM ^

I think the general idea of destroying evidence is that if you destroy everything that points to you, then it is hard to pin the crime on you.

The problem is that unless no one else knows what happened, other people can be made to testify against you and that can be used as evidence.  So even if you destroy all the physical evidence, if there are other people involved you can get into a lot of trouble if they can be made to testify against you. 

The question will be, can the police get enough evidence to pin the muder on someone?  If so, then that person will probably start talking to save their own skin and then all hell will break loose.  It is pretty certain Hernandez is covering up something, it just isn't clear whether he is convering for himself or for someone else yet.

funkywolve

June 21st, 2013 at 10:46 AM ^

to be able to prove that there was evidence on his phone, on the security cameras or in his house to bring those charges?

All those actions raise red flags and questions, but I don't think those actions by themselves can bring charges of tampering with evidence or obstruction.

Yeoman

June 21st, 2013 at 7:15 PM ^

Once there's reasonable suspicion that a crime might have been committed in his house, the security camera video is evidence. It might be evidence of a crime, or it might be evidence that no crime was committed there, but either way it's evidence and you're interfering with a criminal investigation when you destroy it.

michelin

June 20th, 2013 at 5:39 PM ^

“(Under Meyer, Florida had ) at least 31 off-the-field arrests involving 25 of Meyer's players ..a dozen involved initial charges of felonies or violent misdemeanors, and the run of incidents ..invited pointed questions about the program's virtue.

..Bryant Gumbel on HBO..compared Florida's arrests with the agent-related violations that subjected Southern California to a two-year postseason ban and other stiff NCAA sanctions. Arguing that "driving drunk, robbing a convenience store, and hitting your girlfriend are all worse offenses than dealing with an agent," he took the NCAA to task for not dealing as sternly with the Gators and other programs with police-blotter problems.

After Florida receiver Chris Rainey was booked last week on a felony charge of aggravated stalking — for allegedly sending an ex-girlfriend a threatening text message — Orlando columnist Mike Bianchi wrote, "Sadly, this outlaw reputation is now the national image of the Florida Gators (under Urban Meyer)”

“Meyer expresses exasperation with the arrests but last week disputed any suggestion that he runs a less-than-honorable program. Florida athletics director Jeremy Foley said

Meyer and his staff.."are working constantly at modifying behavior and, at the end of the day, the majority of the players who come through this program will make us all proud.."

The statement closely mirrors one Foley released when the player-arrest issue flared 15 months ago.

…Still, Gumbel isn't alone in calling for the NCAA to get more involved.

Southern Virginia's Benedict has overseen several studies of athletes' criminal behavior…"I think it's fair to say the NCAA could probably have a little more influence in this area if it wanted to," .."We might argue over the legal authority they have to step in. But I think there's no argument that, from an influence standpoint, they could do a lot more to send a message that they find this kind of criminality to be inappropriate and they want a tighter ship run," he said. "It's an area that, up to now, they just have totally ignored."

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/college/football/sec/2010-09-23-f…

SF Wolverine

June 20th, 2013 at 5:41 PM ^

that said, it does seem that the college experience could be expected to make a real difference in post-college behavior.  The culture of a program, especually as it concerns accountability, matters.  Michigan and Ohio recruit the same kids; who knows how close we came to landing Pryor, for example.  But, there is a real difference between spending four years getting away with [insert offense here] and watching your teammates do likewise, and spending four years in a program where far lesser offenses are treated significantly.  Not hard to imagine how a kid who is coddled in high school, and then allowed to get away with more and worse in college, ends up thinking he can do whatever he wants.

Generic MGoBlogger

June 20th, 2013 at 5:53 PM ^

I'm shocked and I'm not shocked.... Shocked mainly at all of the new developments and how likely it is that Hernandez actually had part in this, but I'm not shocked considering his past... Many teams passed on Hernandez in the draft because of his association with drugs and very possibly gangs... Either way looking very bleak now for Hernandez, and I'm very entertained by this situation.

TruBluMich

June 20th, 2013 at 10:05 PM ^

So a guy has possibly lost his mind and it's Urban Meyers fault for being his head coach in college?  I don;t care for the Meyer's public side and all indications lead to him being a person who puts winning in front of everything.  I however think it;s a stretch to even imply he had something to do with a man losing his mind.  He was his head coach, not his Dad!

michelin

June 20th, 2013 at 10:43 PM ^

not that Meyer is the cause of Hernandez' problems but that Hernandez is a symptom, which reminds us of the type of players Urban accepts and tolernates. (similar to MSU under Dantonio, IMO).  That is, Hernandez had involvements with drugs and gangs at Florda--and many other players were also involved in crimes and violence-- about which Urban did little..

Why?  Because Hernandez was a great player.   Urban would do anytthing to win.

Players' violence--when so common on one team-- also raises questions about what caused it.   Many of these players--Hernandez included--were caught using drugs at Fla under Urban.  And what types of drugs commonly used by athletes are associated with violent behavior? 

 

XM - Mt 1822

June 20th, 2013 at 10:33 PM ^

craig james' whereabouts where unknown at the time of the homicide.   could be the evidence of his presence (and any alleged hookers) was destroyed by hernandez.  

where's mcgruff when you need him?