As a die-hard Patriots fan, talking about Aaron Hernandez is always bittersweet. He was an incredible talent, and as a Patriots fan, you couldn’t help but root for him—until everything fell apart.

When Ryan and I had the chance to talk to Josh Rivera—over the phone, no less—about his role as Hernandez in Ryan Murphy’s new series “American Sports Story”, we couldn’t pass it up.

For Ryan, who grew up in Bristol, Connecticut, Hernandez’s hometown, this story has an even deeper meaning.

The conversation started with us sharing just how personal Hernandez’s story feels for people from Bristol and Patriots fans alike.

Ryan said it perfectly:

“Aaron Hernandez was supposed to be the hometown hero, but now he’s the guy no one talks about anymore.”

Josh admitted right away that before getting the role, he didn’t know the full scope of Hernandez’s story. “I wasn’t exactly sure how well I’d be able to do it,” Josh told us over the phone, “but I knew I was going to give it everything I had.”

He dove into the role, backed by the show’s creative team and resources from *The Boston Globe* journalists who originally broke the story.

What really stuck with me was how much care Josh put into making Hernandez a multidimensional character. He wasn’t interested in just playing a villain.

“I have to bring the humanity,” Josh said.

He wanted to make sure Hernandez was portrayed as a real person, flaws and all. It’s easy to reduce Hernandez to the mistakes he made, but Josh wanted to show the man behind the headlines—the struggles, the complexities, and the decisions that led to his downfall.

That’s what makes this series so different: it’s not just a retelling of the tabloid stories, it digs deeper into who Hernandez was.

We also spent time talking about the impact of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) on Hernandez’s life.

Josh explained that Hernandez had learned early on that his talent on the football field allowed him to bend the rules. “He didn’t have to play by the same rules as everyone else because he was so good at football,” Josh told us.

Pair that mindset with the devastating effects of CTE, and it created a dangerous combination. Hearing Josh talk about how CTE likely played a role in Hernandez’s behavior was eye-opening and added a lot of depth to our conversation.

As a Patriots fan, it’s hard not to think about what could have been. Hernandez had so much potential. “There was so much optimism for him at first, but then it all took a shocking turn,” Josh reflected. That’s exactly how it feels for fans like me who watched his career closely.

Before we wrapped up the call, Ryan and I had to give Josh his props. “You did a great job,” we told him, and we meant it.

Playing such a complicated character is tough, but Josh captured Hernandez’s rise and fall with an authenticity that leaves a lasting impact.

If you haven’t tuned into “American Sports Story” yet, you need to. The show airs every Tuesday at 10 PM on FX, and Josh Rivera’s portrayal of Aaron Hernandez is something you don’t want to miss.