Thomas Sadoski hopes the NFL has a visceral reaction to American Sports Story.

“I think that one of the real shocking standout moments of this show is the image of all of those young men — overwhelmingly young men of color — being lined up and poked and prodded,” Sadoski, 48, told TV Insider on Tuesday, October 1. “That image is arresting and it should be.”

Sadoski did his search about the obstacles football players face before taking on the role of Brian Murphy.

“I sort of knew all about the combine and I knew I had read about a lot of that stuff. I had seen articles about a lot of that stuff, but to see it up close and personal, even on a film set, was to have your jaw drop,” he noted. “And part of why I think it’s worthwhile to have [projects] like this made is because it shakes the foundation of this established way of doing things that are really twisted.”

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FX’s American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez worked hard to make the cast resemble their real-life counterparts. The first season of American Sports Story, which stars Josh Andrés Rivera, debuted in September 2024, is based on the “Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc.” podcast, which focused on Hernandez’s time as a tight end with the University […]

In response to a question about how he hopes the organization reacts to the show, Sadoski said, “I want the NFL to be pissed off at this show because it’s a multi-billion dollar industry that has historically taken a very long time to take responsibility for the well-being of its athletes, who even today there’s a lot of lips but not a lot of doing.”

He continued: “The machismo thing that has been in the world of that sport for too long has really [allowed that]. I think it’s changing, but I don’t know that it’s necessarily changing fast enough.”

The first season of American Sports Story, debuted last season and is based on the “Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc.” podcast, which focused on Aaron Hernandez‘s time as a tight end with the University of Florida Gators before his stint with the New England Patriots. Josh Andrés Rivera brings the complicated athlete to life as his issues off the field are explored on the show.

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Bureau of Prisons/Getty Images; FX For fans of TV shows based on true events, the fall lineup has several standouts to look forward to that are pulled straight from the headlines. FX is debuting Ryan Murphy‘s latest limited series titled American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez. Based on the “Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc.” podcast, […]

After becoming an NFL star, Hernandez was arrested in 2013 for the murder of Odin Lloyd and was convicted two years later. He was found guilty of first-degree murder in 2015 and was subsequently charged for the double homicide of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado. Hernandez was acquitted in 2017 and days later was found dead at age 27 in his prison cell. His death was ruled a suicide.

Sports fans can also expect to see actors playing familiar faces such as Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer and Bill Belichick, who all played a role in Hernandez’s life. Sadoski reflected on the research he did for the role of Hernandez’s agent during his interview with TV Insider.

“It’s my sense that I got from looking at the trial and reading articles. It’s my sense that he’s a good man at his core. I think also the reality of the situation is that at a certain point, you bump up against the fact that these are adult men that you are dealing with, and they’re going to do what they’re going to do,” he explained. “You can advise and attempt to inspire as much as you possibly can, but at the end of the day, the full weight responsibility for their actions and their choices lies with them.”

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From Sadoski’s perspective, there are several men in Hernandez’s life that “failed him spectacularly” and “need to be held accountable” for that.

“Urban Meyer is somebody who comes to mind. His coach at Florida should not be leading young men ever again. It’s shameful that he cloaks himself as this sort of Sunday morning saint,” he added. “I have actually a lot of sympathy for Brian Murphy in the sense that I feel like he tried to do the best job that he could, but at the end of the day, you are forced to deal with the fact that they’re going to make their choices.”

American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez airs on FX Tuesdays at 10 p.m. ET. New episodes stream the next day on Hulu.