Meyer warned Belichick about Hernandez: 'You just need to keep an eye on him'
Ohio State head football coach Urban Meyer told Bill Belichick that Aaron Hernandez would require extra attention if the New England Patriots were going to select him in the 2010 NFL Draft.
In an appearance on "The Dan Patrick Show" on Tuesday, Meyer was asked about a conversation he had with the Patriots coach about Hernandez, a former player under Meyer during their time at Florida.
"He was a guy that a lot of people were asking about 'first-round talent, second-round talent' and he went later in the draft. I can't remember what round," Meyer said. "He's a guy that had a very incentive-based contract early in his career in pro football, and I'm not sure what happened after that, but he was a guy that ... obviously coach Belichick's a friend of mine.
"Very honestly I said you just need to keep an eye on him. And, unfortunately, you can't lock them up and keep them away from their homeboys. I guess that's what happened."
Even considering his apprehension over Hernandez's character, Meyer was shocked to hear about his involvement in the 2013 murder of Odin Lloyd.
"I mean, just like you could imagine my mouth dropped," Meyer said. "First of all, I didn't believe it. Then you start reading about it, and, I never spoke with him, obviously, but that's when you have beat writers and everybody start writing things out about 'multiple failed drug tests.' He failed one drug test. He was treated the same as every athlete at University of Florida. And no idea that, you know, he's a different guy.
"I kept hearing about people back home. Hindsight that he went and played pro football somewhere near home ... conversations I've had that's kind of what happened."