WARNING: SPOILERS ahead for American Sports Story.
The new FX seriesAmerican Sports Storychronicles Aaron Hernandez’s collegiate success as a member of the University of Florida’s elite football team.American Sports Storyepisode 3depicts some of Hernandez’s behind-the-scenes struggles both on and off the field despite him beingthe best college tight end in the country and a recipient of the prestigious John Mackey Award. Established in 2000, the John Mackey Award is not only based on the talent and performance of the recipient but also as an acknowledgment of the exceptional person beneath the helmet and shoulder pads.
Josh Rivera leads theAmerican Sports StorycastasAaron Hernandez, the former collegiate and NFL superstar tight endwho was convicted ofmurdering semi-pro football player Odin Lloydin 2015. Thefirst two episodes ofAmerican Sports Storycapture a basic understanding of Aaron Hernandez’s complicated upbringing and accelerated path to becoming a Florida Gator before joining the NFL in 2010.American Sports Storyportrays several NFL players and coachesincluding Hernandez, Tim Tebow, and Tom Brady. The series looks into Hernandez’s relationship with Floridahead coach Urban Meyerand chroniclesHernandez’s head injuriesthat led to his stage 3 CTE diagnosis in 2017.
John Mackey College & NFL Football Career Explained
Mackey was one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history
The John Mackey Award was named after Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end John Mackey, who played three seasons at Syracuse University from 1960 to 1962. Mackey was a highly versatile offensive weapon who not only played tight end for the Syracuse Orange but also running back and wide receiver as well. According toSyracuse, “As a junior, he totaled 15 receptions for a then school-record 321 yards and was a key contributor in Syracuse’s 1961 Liberty Bowl triumph, catching four passes in a 15-14 victory against Miami.“Mackey had a career total of 27 receptions for 481 yards and six touchdowns, ranking 78th on Syracuse’s all-time receiving yards list (viaSports Reference).
American Sports Story: What Tom Brady Has Said About Aaron Hernandez
7-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady played with the subject of American Sports Story Aaron Hernandez between 2010-2012 on the New England Patriots.
After Mackey graduated from Syracuse in 1963, he was selected by the Baltimore Colts as the 19th overall pick in the 1963 NFL Draft. Mackey would go on to play for the Baltimore Colts for nine seasons before ending his career as a member of the San Diego Chargers in 1972. Once he got to the NFL, he only played at the tight end position and became on of the greatest to ever do it. According to thePro Football Hall of Fame, “John Mackey was only the second player who performed strictly as a tight end to become a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.“His NFL career totals were 331 receptions for 5,236 yards and 38 touchdowns.
The John Mackey Award Explained: Who Has Won Besides Aaron Hernandez
Brock Bowers of the University of Georgia is the only tight end to win the award in back-to-back years (2022, 2023)
The John Mackey Award is “presented to the nation’s most outstanding tight end by the Friends of John Mackey”, according to theNational College Football Awards Association.The first recipient of the award was Tim Stratton of Purdue University in 2000. He is a member of the voting committee for the John Mackey award along with previous winners Dallas Clark (2002, University of Iowa) and D.J. Williams (2010, University of Arkansas). Celebrated sportswriters such as Lee Corso and Phil Steele also make up the voting committee. The most recent recipient, Brock Bowers of the University of Georgia, became the first tight end to ever win the award in back-to-back years (2022, 2023).
American Sports Story: What Bill Belichick Has Said About Aaron Hernandez
Bill Belichick will be portrayed in American Sports Story as Aaron Hernadnez’s coach on the Patriots. Here’s what he said about him in real life.
Hernandez won the prestigious award after his final season at Florida in 2009.He is one of two Florida Gators to ever win the award, with Kyle Pitts, who now plays for the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, winning the prize in 2020. Other notable recipients of the John Mackey Award include T.J. Hockenson (2018, University of Iowa) who now plays for the Minnesota Vikings, Mark Andrews (2017, University of Oklahoma) who plays for the Baltimore Ravens, Hunter Henry (2015, University of Arkansas) who currently plays for the New England Patriots, and 2-time Super Bowl Champion Heath Miller (2004, University of Virginia).
John Mackey’s number 88 was retired by Syracuse University in 2007.
Mackey was 59 years old when he was first diagnosed with dementia
American Sports Storymakes a point to include a portrayal of John Mackeyin the series as a dramatized version of Aaron Hernandez accepts the award named after him. It is evident by Mackey’s condition in the series that he is older and his football playing days are far behind him as Aaron and Mackey’s wife Sylvia help him stand to take a photo. According to a Legacy Story published on the website of theConcussion Legacy Foundationwritten by Sylvia Mackey, “After being diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, Mackey began having issues with his memory and lost the ability to care for himself.” Mackey was 59 years old when he was first diagnosed with dementia.
Why Aaron Hernandez Shot Sherrod In American Sports Story: What Happened In Boston
Aaron Hernandez shoots his friend in the opening scene of American Sports Story based on real-life testimony given in his 2017 double homicide trial.
Mackey was not diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) after his death in 2011. His family donated his brain to the VA-BU-CLF Brain Bank at Boston University where he was diagnosed with advanced-stage CTE. Like Mackey, Hernandez was diagnosed with advanced-stage CTE following his death in 2017. Hernandez’s family also donated his brain to Boston University’s CTE Center, which concluded thatHernandez’s CTE was the worst they had seen in any young personin the history of BU’s CTE Center. Sylvia Mackey noted that her husband’s “private battle with dementia became the public face of the link between head trauma, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, and related ailments.”
John Mackey Died In 2011, 2 Years After American Sports Story Scene
Hernandez played in Super Bowl XLVI in February 2012
Aaron Hernandez received the John Mackey Award in early 2010 after his 2009 season. Mackey died on June 28, 2025, roughly a year and a half after Hernandez won the award. Boston Univeristy’s CTE Center diagnosed Mackey with advanced-stage CTE in 2012, meaning thatHernandez was still alive and playing in the NFL when knowledge of Mackey’s CTE became public. It will be interesting to see if this moment will be depicted inAmerican Sports Storyand whether or not the fictional portrayal of Hernandez will pay any mind to it.
According to a 2023 study by Boston University’s CTE Center,345 out of 376 deceased former NFL players studied had CTE, creating a shockingly high diagnosis rate of 91.7% (viaBoston University). Hernandez and Mackey were among those 345 and counting. Concussions are unfortunately quite common in football, particularly in the NFL, which recently changed its official protocol on concussions during NFL games in 2022 which prohibits players showing signs of ataxia from returning to the game. The handshake between John Mackey and Aaron Hernandez means more than meets the eye inAmerican Sports Story.
American Sports Story Aaron Hernandez Soundtrack Guide: Every Song And When They Play
FX’s new series American Sports Story features a robust and relevant soundtrack full of 2000s hip-hop classics and collegiate fight songs.
Source: Syracuse, Sports Reference, Pro Football Hall of Fame, National College Football Awards Association, Concussion Legacy Foundation
American Sports Story
Cast
American Sports Story is a TV show from Stu Zicherman and executive produced by Ryan Murphy. The series stars Josh Andrés Rivera as Aaron Hernandez and Patrick Schwarzenegger as Tim Tebow. The sports anthology series serves as the fourth installment in Murphy’s “American Story” franchise.
