WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for American Sports Story.

The Hulu/FX series American Sports Story depicts the early childhood and death of Aaron Hernandez’s father, Dennis Hernandez. The first two episodes of American Sports Story, which premiered on September 17, 2024, on FX, capture a basic understanding of Aaron Hernandez’s complicated upbringing, tumultuous family life, and accelerated path to becoming a Florida Gator and New England Patriot. It also depicts the influential role of his father and how Aaron’s life completely changed after his death.

Josh Rivera leads the American Sports Story cast as Hernandez, a former collegiate and NFL superstar tight end who was convicted of murdering semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd in 2015. ​​​​​American Sports Story portrays several NFL players and coaches in addition to Hernandez, including superstar tight end Rob Gronkowski, legendary Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, and the Patriots’ billionaire owner Robert Kraft. Additionally, Hernandez’s real-life family members, including his mother Terri and cousin Tanya, are also dramatized in the series.

Dennis Hernandez Died From Complications During Hernia Surgery

He died in 2006 at 49 years old from unforeseen complications during surgery

Aaron Hernandez’s father, Dennis Hernandez, was never able to see Aaron play football at the collegiate or professional level despite training him throughout his entire childhood. As depicted in American Sports Story, Aaron was expected to follow in his father and brother’s footsteps and play football at UConn, where he would have a starting role as a freshman. Although this was the original plan, everything changed for Aaron when Dennis died during what was supposed to be a routine hernia operation to repair an old football injury.

Because of an infection discovered during the hernia surgery, Dennis Hernandez died at the age of 49 when Aaron was still in high school in Bristol, Connecticut. Dennis earned the nickname “King” around his local community and was idolized by families, friends, and Aaron’s teammates. Although Dennis had quite a renowned public image and a firm reputation as a great father, he was incredibly demanding and abusive towards Aaron and his older brother D.J. The Boston Globe first reported that “Aaron and his older brother were often beaten and brutalized by their dad. Aaron didn’t cry at his father’s funeral, and people took note. He kept it all inside.”

How Old Aaron Hernandez Was When His Dad Died

Aaron was just 16 when his dad died

Even though Aaron’s father Dennis abused Aaron, a key detail that was left out of the first two episodes of American Sports Story, Dennis was Aaron’s greatest role model throughout his childhood. After Dennis died when Aaron was 16, Aaron’s mother Terri began an affair with Jeff Cummings, the husband of Aaron’s cousin Tanya Singleton. It was at Tanya’s house where he met Carlos Ortiz and Ernest Wallace, who were both found guilty of accessory to murder after the fact in Hernandez’s 2015 murder conviction of Odin Lloyd. While there are many puzzle pieces in the story of Aaron Hernandez’s life as depicted in American Sports Story, Dennis Hernandez was certainly one of the biggest.

Source: The Boston Globe