Disclaimer: This story contains mentions of murder and suicide. Reader discretion is advised.
American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez is based on the real-life instances of the late NFL star Aaron Hernandez - his checkered past, career, and the violent crimes he committed. While the story features several friends of his, the one person who caught fans’ attention was the character of Sherrod, who was shot in the face by Hernandez.
In the docuseries, Sherrod was a dealer of illegal substances and was Hernandez’s closest friend and ally. The two went way back to Boston and were thick friends until that fateful day.
Hernandez reportedly shot his then-best friend in the face due to a misunderstanding between them. Hernandez’s actions led the real-life ‘Alexander Bradley’ to lose an eye to blindness.
Why did Aaron Hernandez shoot Sherrod in the face in American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez?
In episode 1 of the docuseries titled “If It’s to Be,” Hernandez (played by Josh Andres Rivera) and Sherrod seemed to be having the time of their lives getting high, indulging in drugs. During their high tide, Hernandez is suddenly struck with an episode of paranoia. Anxious and aggravated, he spots two anonymous men chatting in the club.
Hernandez begins to vent his paranoia to Sherrod and makes exaggerated claims about the men being police meant to monitor him from Boston. Considering Hernandez’s demeanor with the drugs in him, Sherrod nonchalantly brushed off his friend’s worries. Furthermore, claiming Hernandez was overacting and needed to relax.
Sherrod was aware of all the skeletons in Hernandez’s closet including the alleged murders he committed in Boston. When he bluntly admitted knowing his friend’s secrets and shutting down claims of cops following him because of Boston, Hernandez was triggered and restless.
Hernandez puts on a facade of a composed person after Sherrod reassures his best friend to keep his lips sealed. Things took a dramatic turn after Hernandez decided to do the unthinkable because of Sherrod’s remarks. Once Sherrod was sound asleep in the car, he drove to a secluded lot in the middle of the night.
Without a moment's notice, he whips out the gun and pulls the trigger shooting him in the face. After the shooting, Hernandez fled from the scene leaving the wounded body of his friend behind without remorse.
Who is Sherrod from American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez based on?
Sherrod from American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez is based on a real-life drug dealer Alexander Bradley. He and Hernandez were pretty tight with each other until the NFL player shot his friend in the face.
Shortly after shooting Bradley in the face, Hernandez went on to commit two homicides for which he was acquitted in 2017 by the court despite Bradley’s testimony against him.
Bradley claimed Hernandez wanted to kill the men for spilling their drink on him. He delivered a rather heated testimony against his once-friend. Hernandez’s actions against Bradley had rendered him with visual impairment in his right eye.
Ultimately, this led Bradley to become a witness in the aforementioned double homicide case against Hernandez. The case concluded with the Prosecution dismissing Bradley’s testimony on the grounds of his blurry memory due to being asleep and being shot in the head. This caused Hernandez to get acquitted in the 2017 double homicide case.
Where are Alexander Bradley and Aaron Hernandez from American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez now?
As per Heavy.com, Alexander Bradley is currently serving his prison sentence after he was convicted of a shooting in a Hartford Bar. Due to his pre-existing criminal record and having done time for 3 years, Bradley was granted a special parole sentence which lasts until the end of this year. Since the documentary’s release, Bradley has refrained from passing any comment.
Hernandez was found guilty of the murder of Odin Lloyd in the first degree. Additionally, he was also guilty of the illegal possession of a firearm - five counts on June 26, 2013.
Years after being sentenced to prison, Hernandez committed suicide in his cell in 2017. Previously, he was diagnosed with CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) caused due to repeated trauma to the brain.
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Catch Alexander Bradley's character Sherrod on American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez on Hulu.
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