There are several key NFL players and coaches depicted in the new FX/Hulu series American Sports Story. Josh Rivera leads the American Sports Story cast as Aaron Hernandez, the former collegiate and NFL superstar tight end who was convicted of murdering semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd in 2015. Lloyd was just one of several criminal acts of violence that Hernandez was either directly a part of or implicated in throughout his football career as a member of the University of Florida Gators and the NFL’s New England Patriots. Rivera leads an ensemble cast that also includes Patrick Schwarzenegger, Lindsay Mendez, and Ean Castellanos.

The series is created by Stuart Zicherman (The Americans) and executive produced by Ryan Murphy (American Horror Story). The first two episodes of American Horror Story capture a basic understanding of Aaron Hernandez’s complicated upbringing, family life, and path to becoming a Florida Gator after initially committing to UConn. Episode 1 “If It’s to Be” chronicles Hernandez’s relationship with his father in Bristol, Connecticut, while episode 2 “Consequences, with Extreme Prejudice” dives into his collegiate career and initial run-ins with teh law. Other NFL personnel, such as Patriots’ owner Robert Kraft and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, are also depicted in the series.

American Sports Story will span 10 episodes with new weekly episodes released every Tuesday from September 17 until November 12, 2024. Brand new episodes of American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez will be released on Hulu after the 10 PM FX premiere on Tuesdays. Unlike other Hulu/FX series, American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez will not be available to stream at midnight on its release day unless watched on the West Coast. Viewers on the East Coast will be unable to stream American Sports Story on Hulu until 3 AM ET on Wednesdays. American Sports Story debuted with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 85%.

11 Norbert Leo Butz as Bill Belichick

Norbert Leo Butz portrays former New England Patriots head coach and 8-time Super Bowl Champion Bill Belichick in American Sports Story. Butz, 57, is a widely accomplished screen and stage actor who has starred in dozens of films and television series. He has starred in many notable recent Hulu series such as Justified: City Primeval and The Girl from Plainville. He has a recurring role in Netflix’s acclaimed series Bloodline as Kevin Rayburn as part of an exceptional ensemble cast.

Belichick coached Hernandez for three seasons after the Patriots selected him in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft. Belichick left the Patriots after 24 seasons and currently appears as a contributor on The Pat McAfee Show and analyst on ESPN’s Monday Night Football Manningcast.

10 Tony Yazbeck as Urban Meyer

Tony Yazbeck portrays Urban Meyer in American Sports Story, an accomplished college head coach who coached the Florida Gators between 2005 and 2010 and was the head coach of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars in 2021. Yazbeck’s most notable credits include Billions, The Good Fight, and Smash. Meyer, who is portrayed throughout American Sports Story episodes 1 and 2, led the Florida Gators to the BCS National Championship Title in 2006 and 2008 before leading the Ohio State Buckeyes to a National Title in 2014. Meyer had one of the briefest NFL coaching tenures in league history after going 2-11 with the Jaguars and getting let go before the end of the season.

9 Ross Jirgl as Tom Brady

Ross Jirgl will portray Tom Brady in American Sports Story, the greatest NFL quarterback of all time who led the New England Patriots to six Super Bowl titles. Jirgl’s most notable credits include Butch vs. Sundance and My One True Love. Brady was the starting quarterback of the New England Patriots between 2001 and 2019 before leaving the team to lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title in 2020. After claiming to enter retirement after his historic seventh all-time Super Bowl win, Brady returned to play until 2022 after the Buc’s disappointing 8–9 season. He is currently a broadcast analyst for Fox Sports with a 10-year, $375 million contract.

8 Patrick Schwarzenegger as Tim Tebow

Schwarzenegger portrays Heisman winner and former Florida Gator quarterback Tim Tebow in American Sports Story. Schwarzenegger, 30, is the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver. He made his first appearance on film in the 2006 comedy The Benchwarmers at the age of 10. Schwarzenegger has also appeared in The Staircase (2022), The Terminal List (2022), and Gen V as Golden Boy.​​​​​​​ He is set to join the cast in HBO’s celebrated series The White Lotus season 3.

Tebow is one of the most prolific college quarterbacks of all time. He and Hernandez won the 2008 National Championship together while at the University of Florida. After Hernandez and the Patriots lost Super Bowl XLVI in 2012, Tebow joined the Patriots practice squad as a backup quarterback to Tom Brady, making him and Hernandez teammates once again for a short time. Hernandez would not play in the 2013 NFL season after getting arrested and being released by the team. Tebow was cut by the Patriots but went on to sign a minimum contract as a tight end with the Jaguars while Meyer was the head coach.

7 Laith Wallschleger as Rob Gronkowski

Laith Wallschleger portrays Rob Gronkowski in American Sports Story, one of the greatest NFL tight ends of all time who played for the New England Patriots from 2010 to 2018. Wallschleger’s most notable credits include Operation Dragon and 9-1-1. Gronkowski played with Aaron Hernandez for three seasons, one of which led them to the Super Bowl in 2012. The Patriots’ unconventional two tight-end formation made them one of the most formidable offenses in the league and made Gronkowski and Hernandez two of the biggest stars in the NFL. Gronkowski would go on to join Brady in Tampa Bay and win his fourth Super Bowl title. He has appeared in several movies, including The Instigators and Good Burger 2.

6 Brett Tomberlin as Wes Welker

Brett Tomberlin portrays Wes Welker in American Sports Story, a wide receiver for the New England Patriots from 2007 to 2012. Tomberlin’s most notable credits include American Hero and Kill File. Welker is one of the most productive wide receivers in the Patriots’ history, ranking third on the all-time list of receiving yards with a total of 7,459 in just 93 games, which is only less than Gronkowski (7,861) and Stanley Morgan (10,352). Welker was selected to the Pro Bowl in five out of his six seasons as a Patriot, making him one of the greatest Patriots players of all time despite not winning a Super Bowl championship. He is the Patriots’ all-time leader in receptions (672).

5 Phede Celestin as Vince Wilfork

Celestin portrays Vince Wilfork in American Sports Story, a former NFL defensive tackle who played for the New England Patriots from 2004 to 2014. Celestin’s most notable credits include From the Outside. Wilfork is a 2x Super Bowl champion and also a former teammate of Aaron Hernandez. He played two seasons on the Houston Texans before signing a one-day contract with the Patriots to retire with the team in 2017. He was inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame in 2022.

4 Warren Egypt Franklin as Cam Newton

Warren Egypt Franklin portrays Cam Newton during his time on the Florida Gators in American Sports Story. Newton was suspended from the Gators after receiving felony charges for stealing a laptop but made the decision to transfer on his own accord. Newton was arrested on charges of burglary, larceny, and obstruction of justice in 2008 and ultimately transferred to another college just three days before the Gators’ National Championship victory.

In an unlikely turn of events, Newton would go on to with the Heisman Trophy and lead the Auburn Tigers to a National Championship victory just two years later. He would also be named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 2015 as the quarterback of the Carolina Panthers. Franklin’s other notable credits include Grown-ish and Diarra from Detriot.

3 Ben Turner Dixon as Josh McDaniels

Ben Turner Dixon portrays former Patriots’ Offensive Coordinator Josh McDaniels in American Sports Story. Dixon’s previous credits include Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., House, and Dexter. McDaniels started out as a personnel assistant for the Patriots in 2001 before rising through the ranks and becoming the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach from 2006 to 2008. After an unsuccessful stint as the Denver Broncos head coach in 2009 and 2010, McDaniels returned as the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach of the Patriots from 2012 to 2019. McDaniels was named the head coach of the Las Vegas Raiders in 2022 but was let go halfway through the season in 2023.

2 Joshua Dye as Matt Patricia

Joshua Dye portrays former Patriots’ Defensive Coordinator Matt Patricia in American Sports Story. Dye’s other notable credits include The Blacklist and Blue Bloods. Patricia joined the Patriots as an offensive assistant in 2004 before becoming the linebackers coach between 2006 and 2010. He was named the Patriots’ Defensive Coordinator from 2012 to 2017 before becoming the head coach of the Detroit Lions in 2018. After two unsuccessful seasons as a head coach, Patricia was let go during the middle of the 2022 season, returning to the Patriots as a senior football advisor.

1 Maurkice Pouncey

Maurkice Pouncey is depicted in the first two episodes of American Sports Story as one of Hernandez’s Florida Gators teammates. He and his brother Mike are identical twins and were both drafted in the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft. The brothers also retired together in 2021 after Mike played for the Miami Dolphins and the Los Angeles Chargers. Maurkice Pouncey played center for the Pittsburgh Steelers for eleven seasons, getting selected for the Pro Bowl nine times. American Sports Story portrays Pouncey as one of Hernandez’s earliest friends at the University of Florida.