How American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez Cast Compares to Real People

FX’s American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez worked hard to make the cast resemble their real-life counterparts.

The first season of American Sports Story, which stars Josh Andrés Rivera, debuted in September 2024, is based on the “Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc.” podcast, which focused on Hernandez’s time as a tight end with the University of Florida Gators before his stint with the New England Patriots.

Hernandez’s legal issues off the football field are also a major part of the show as American Sports Story addresses the events leading up to his death.

After becoming an NFL star, Hernandez was arrested in 2013 for the murder of Odin Lloyd and was convicted two years later. He was found guilty of first-degree murder in 2015 and was subsequently charged for the double homicide of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado. Hernandez was acquitted in 2017 and days later was found dead at age 27 in his prison cell. His death was ruled a suicide.

Football fans saw a lot of familiar faces on the show, including Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer, Brian Murphy and Bill Belichick, who all played a role in Hernandez’s life. Keep scrolling to see how the cast of American Sports Story compares to the real-life people featured on the show: