Aaron Hernandez News: Former Tight End Accused of 3 Murders Appears in Florida Gators Calendar as Mr. July
ByThe Florida Gators released a calendar that included some of its former football players and Aaron Hernandez is gracing the month of July.
According to the Associated Press, the calendar company also made one for the New England Patriots and Hernandez is seen there as well. The company said they obtained the rights to use Hernandez' image months before he was charged with murder.
The former college and pro tight end faces two different murder charges for killing three people. First, Hernandez was arrested June 26, 2013 for allegedly murdering Odin Lloyd. After pleading not guilty, he was then charged with a double homicide in Boston on a separate occasion. Hernandez is currently awaiting a trial for Lloyd's murder, which is set to start Oct. 6, while being held in prison without bail.
After Hernandez' arrest, the Patriots and Gators scrubbed their home stadiums and memorabilia shops of his name and image. Turner Licensing, a division of Perfect Timing Inc., produced the calendars and did not respond to the AP for comment.
Daniel Apple, a spokesman for the school, only said they granted permission to use the image before Hernandez' arrest and the Patriots would not comment on any matter relating to their former tight end.
Hernandez originally committed to the University of Connecticut, which was in close proximity to his hometown of Bristol and to his future NFL team. He then changed his direction and played at the University of Florida under Urban Meyer and alongside Tim Tebow.
From 2007 to 2009, Hernandez played 29 games for the Gators and caught 111 passes for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns. He skipped his senior season to enter the NFL Draft, where the Patriots made him a fourth-round selection.
"There are thousands of Gator products in the pipeline for approval at any given time and it's not common practice to re-review them once they have already been approved," Apple told the AP, adding he was made aware of the calendar on Monday. "We have since notified the licensee that it is no longer approved."