Beyond the personal demons Hernandez was an excellent football player and among the greatest athletes to ever play the tight end position. It is probably not the right thing to say, but I’m not trying to give a compliment. That’s just a fact.

Reflect on Aaron’s Career via Madden Football in this Retrospective:

via Milesdawkins247

Without knowing Hernandez personally that question is tough to answer. There are many reasons why any young man chooses to lead the life he does. However one has to wonder why would the New England Patriots of all teams invest so much in an enigmatic player with so many dark clouds?

Just a quick troll of Hernandez’ social media pages would have shown you unregistered firearms, questionable clothing choices and affiliations. Yet America’s new favorite team the New England Patriots entertained him with a 4th round pick. Even after multiple issues with marijuana during the actual pre-draft process, Patriots brass threw caution to wind and drafted him anyways.

We all know how this story ends.

But why do teams still draft players with multiple obvious red flags? Despite the NFL attempting to save face with domestic violence commercials and the like there are still multiple players who are going to suit up next season with checkered pasts. Pasts that include rape accusations, domestic violence, child abuse, and assault. It paints one picture and one picture clearly: if you can play someone will pay you.

That’s all it comes down to. Coaches are under incredible pressure to produce a winner on the field. Restless fans push the hands of general managers. “Win now” will always outweigh “win right.”

Johnny Manziel lived the life of a guy with the #1 rap song in the country instead of the guy that’s the #1 quarterback in the country yet the Browns still used a first round pick on him. We know how that story ended as well. To his credit, Manziel finally entered rehab but facts remain the pick didn’t outweigh the off the field risks.

Like every year this draft has many prospects with the same types of checkered backgrounds. There’s a player with domestic violence issues, someone will draft him. There’s multiple players with rape accusations, someone will draft him. There are players with questionable lifestyles, yet someone will draft them as well.

Several unnamed teams are even willing to give Hernandez a shot should he ever end up back on the streets.

(Previous article: NFL Team to Sign Aaron Hernandez After Prison Bid)

So what’s the point? Aaron Hernandez being found guilty of murder won’t change anything. If someone can play NFL opportunity will knock. The phone will ring. As always, it’s up to the player to determine what type of young man answers that call.

This is the Chris Benoit treatment. Very soon any and all traces of Aaron Hernandez will be wiped clean from the history books.

Is wiping Hernandez from the NFL’s history while still innocent before proven guilty the right thing to do?

They are deleting Aaron Hernandez from Madden 25.

He will not appear in the game as a free agent or as a member of the Patriots. If you want the tight end from Flordia, you’re going to have to hit that create-a-player mode!

“We made a decision to remove Aaron Hernandez from Madden NFL 25 and NCAA Football 14. Because NCAA Football 14 was finalized prior to our decision, Hernandez’ image still appears in the Nike Skills Trainer,” an EA Sports spokesperson told CBSSports.com. “The image of Hernandez will be removed via a Title Update in the near future.”

In the business, we call this the Chris Benoit treatment.

Aaron Hernandez charged with murder and five gun-related charges; pleads not guilty.

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) June 26, 2013

We may have seen the last of Aaron Hernandez in the free world. Cold world.

In true PUMA fashion, the brand’s relationship with Hernandez will focus on the unexpected and highlight his life off of the field.  As part of the long-term relationship, Hernandez will be featured in the brand’s Nature of Performance marketing campaigns, attend PUMA events, offer training tips via the brand’s web site and social media channels, and lead special programs with retail partners including a program launching later this year involving training with high school students.

“I’m very excited to be working with PUMA, I have admired the brand for many years and it really fits my overall lifestyle,” said Aaron Hernandez.  “Most people know me for what I do on the football field, but I have to train hard behind the scenes and PUMA helps me to perform at my highest level and look my best.”

At age 23, Hernandez has already established himself as one of the most versatile and athletic players in professional football today.  While still a relative newcomer to professional sports, Hernandez has proven to be prominent role model for kids and adult fans across the country.  Hernandez and PUMA will be working together to create programs that not only fit within Aaron’s outlook and fitness philosophy, but also work to help causes he is involved with including outreach within the Hispanic community.

“It isn’t every day that we welcome such a young talent to our team and we couldn’t be more excited to be working with Aaron Hernandez,” said Jay Piccola, President of PUMA North America. “His talent, athleticism and ability to overcome adversity have made him a rising star, and all this matched with his personality and intense training regimen is what makes Aaron a key part of the PUMA family.”

While he shines on the field, behind the scenes he puts in a lot of work to perform at his ultimate best.  A fan of diverse and rigorous workouts, Hernandez spends time doing various training activities to increase his speed, agility, and strength.  He trains in PUMA’s latest trainer BioWeb Elite, inspired by nature but engineered to deliver maximum cushioning and stability no matter what the activity.  Aaron has also recently tested the brand’s latest Compression Bodywear, ACTV.  This high performance training apparel fuses the benefits of graduated compression with those of strategically placed athletic tape built into the apparel.  Hernandez will continue to train in ACTV as he preps for the upcoming football season.

To learn more about PUMA’s training category and Aaron’s favorite gear go to puma.com/bioweb you can also get brand updates at facebook.com/puma or follow the brand via Twitter, instagram and Vine at @puma. Follow Aaron as he trains with PUMA at @AaronHernandez.

Benicia, CA (July 31, 2012) –

“I’m excited to be a part of the Muscle Milk team,” said Hernandez.  “I started using Muscle Milk when I was at the University of Florida, and it’s become an important part of my workout recovery routine ever since.”

“Our partnership with Aaron highlights one of our key objectives which is to support athletes in the pursuit of their goals,” said Shane McCassy, CytoSport’s director of sports marketing.  “After meeting Aaron we knew he would be a great addition to the Muscle Milk family.  We’re looking forward to continuing to help him perform at the highest level.”

Hernandez is entering his third season in the league after leading the New England Patriots to a 2011 AFC Championship.  The Bristol, Conn., native grew up a Patriots fan and has achieved stats that speak to his dedication to being the best on and off the gridiron.   He joins an elite group of Muscle Milk athletes including Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews, Olympic snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler, Texas Rangers All-Star second baseman Ian Kinsler, four-time Ironman champion Chrissie Welington, Olympic marathoner Ryan Hall and Supercross champion Trey Canard.

ABOUT Muscle Milk

Muscle Milk Ready-to-Drink is a protein-enhanced functional beverage that helps promotes workout recovery, lean muscle growth and sustained energy. Muscle Milk takes the guesswork out of high performance nutrition, delivering a precise blend of premium proteins, complex carbohydrates, functional fats and vitamins and minerals. CytoSport, the maker of Muscle Milk, is the largest sport nutrition company in the U.S. and offers a complete line of protein-enhanced powders, shakes and bars. Muscle Milk was named Ready-to-Drink Beverage of the Year by bodybuilding.com, Best Functional Beverage and Beverage of the Year by BevNet and Company of the Year by Beverage Forum, presented by Beverage Marketing Corporation and Beverage World.