Aaron Hernandez - Something To Prove
Monday, October 19, 2009 | Football
By: Kelly Bornemann, UF Communications
Senior quarterback Tim Tebow has a new go-to guy: junior tight end Aaron Hernandez. With his steadfast hands, quick speed, blocking ability and acrobatic-like moves, Hernandez has stepped up to fill the voids left by the departures of wide receivers Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy to the National Football League.
The only snag in the new plan to utilize his versatility is the lack of depth behind him. Hernandez is the only tight end on Florida's depth chart and the coaches have taken extra precautions by keeping him off special teams and reducing unnecessary playing time to prevent injury.
The pressure doesn't get to Hernandez, who never thinks about getting injured and instead places his concern on being the best player he can be for the Gators. Even though he was rated the No. 1 tight end recruit nationally in 2007, Hernandez pushes himself every day to prove he belongs on a top-ranked team.
“Being from Connecticut, you never really believe that you are one of the best,” Hernandez said. “The guys from Florida know they were meant to play here, but I never expected to be at a school like this, so I constantly want to be better.”
A wide receiver and tight end from Bristol, Conn., Hernandez always thought he'd end up at a smaller school close to home. He even committed to UConn, where his older brother D.J. was a wide receiver. A long-time Gator fan, Bristol High School coach Doug Pina saw his potential and sent film to the coaches at UF, fueling Hernandez's recruitment and perhaps offering him a change of plans.
His first visit to The Swamp for the 2006 Orange and Blue Game came less than three months after losing his father that January to surgical complications. The new coaching dynamic under Urban Meyer offered Hernandez 'something different' and a chance to show he could make it on his own.
One look at Florida was all he needed. He told the coaches that day that he wanted to be here and never looked back. According to Hernandez, deciding to move to Florida for school and become a Gator was one of the best decisions of his life.
“I'd never seen anything like UF. I was so excited at that spring game that I committed on the spot.”
After a whirlwind senior year that included 67 receptions for a state record 1,807 yards and 24 touchdowns, along with 72 tackles, including 42 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and four blocked kicks on defense, Hernandez graduated early and enrolled at UF in January 2007, the same week UF won its second National Championship.
Watching that game from Gainesville inspired Hernandez to set a few goals for his time at UF, which included winning his own SEC and National Championship rings as a Gator and winning the John Mackey Award, which goes to the best tight end in the nation.
Hernandez accomplished two of those goals last year after leading the team with five receptions for 57 yards to defeat Oklahoma, 24-14, in the FedEx BCS National Championship Game. He accounted for 100 yards on eight receptions in UF's final two games against Alabama in the SEC Championship Game and the Sooners in Miami and finished the year with 38 catches for 381 yards and five touchdowns.
This year, he's set out to increase his playing time and prove he is the best tight end in the country. Tight ends coach Brian White believes he can achieve that prestige with a little more practice and some hard work.
"Aaron has all the ability to be considered an elite tight end and one of the best, if not the best, in America," White said. “He just needs to continue to improve.”
Since playing as a part-time starter his freshman year, Hernandez has certainly improved. He's seen time in over 30 games, leading the team with his 58 receptions and averaging over 24 yards a game.
"Aaron is a dynamic player, and we saw what he could do last year," UF offensive coordinator Steve Addazio said. "He can catch the ball like any wide receiver. He can make the hard catches. You can get the ball in his hands as a tailback, and he's really dynamic there, and he can block at the point.”
Even though Hernandez thinks he has more to prove, UF is certain he was the perfect fit for the team and an asset to the potent Gator offense.
