Episode 3 of “American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez,” which aired Tuesday on FX, has a not-so-subtle title: “Pray the Gay Away.”
In the episode, Hernandez (played by Josh Rivera) struggles with his sexual identity — he dates a female classmate at the University of Florida, but continues to be attracted to men, which is a problem in the homophobic culture of college — and professional — football.
Sensing something’s bothering Hernandez, Tim Tebow (played by Patrick Schwarzenegger), the University of Florida quarterback and a hardcore Christian, invites his teammate to an event at his church. Afterward, without telling Tebow what, exactly, is on his mind, Hernandez asks the QB if change is possible.
“Accept Jesus Christ as your lord and savior and, I promise, you can change,” Tebow replies.
“What if God made me this way?,” Hernandez replies.
Hernandez, who’s begun drinking and smoking heavily and showing up late to practice, re-commits to football and finds success on the field. But maintaining an ascetic lifestyle is hard work, and when Hernandez returns to Bristol, Conn., for Thanksgiving, old habits emerge.
Produced by Ryan Murphy, “American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez” is based on The Boston Globe’s Spotlight series and the accompanying podcast produced by The Boston Globe and Wondery. It leans heavily into Hernandez’s bisexuality, which he never spoke publicly about during his lifetime. In relation to Hernandez’s sexuality, the TV series invents characters and conversations that go well beyond what the Globe’s reporting was able to confirm.
Episode 3 ends with Hernandez, after his junior year at UF, receiving the John Mackey Award, named for the Hall of Fame pass-catcher and given annually to college football’s best tight end. At the end of the ceremony, Hernandez meets Mackey, who can barely speak or stand up — the result, we surmise, of head injuries sustained while playing football.
It’s curious that Mackey’s condition isn’t made clear in the show. He died two years after meeting Hernandez, at the age of 69, and a subsequent examination of his brain by Boston University revealed he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
Mark Shanahan can be reached at mark.shanahan@globe.com. Follow him @MarkAShanahan.
