Aaron Hernandez Reportedly Broached Trade to Bill Belichick Due to 'The Heat'

Former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez reportedly requested a trade from head coach Bill Belichick at the 2013 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, saying he wanted to stay away from Foxboro because "the heat was on back home in Connecticut."

Albert Breer of The MMQB provided details of the meeting, which ended with Belichick telling Hernandez he wouldn't trade him but could help with security. The reason for the tight end spending time in California that offseason was originally reported as a chance to remain closer to Tom Brady.

The 27-year-old former NFL player was found dead in his cell at the Souza Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley, Massachusetts early Wednesday morning. CNN passed along a statement from the Massachusetts Department of Correction about Hernandez's death:

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On April 19, 2017 Aaron Hernandez was discovered hanged in his cell by corrections officers at the Souza Baranowski Correctional Center in Shirley Massachusetts at approximately 3:05 a.m., lifesaving techniques were attempted on Mr. Hernandez and he was transported to UMASS Leominster where he was pronounced dead at 4:07 a.m. by a physician at the hospital.

[...]

The Massachusetts State Police are on scene and the investigation continues. Mr. Hernandez's next of kin have been notified.

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NBC Nightly News provided comments from Hernandez's lawyer, Jose Baez, questioning the determination suicide was the cause of death:

Hernandez was serving a life sentence after being found guilty for the 2013 death of Odin Lloyd. Last week, he was found not guilty in the 2012 double murder of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado.