Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc.

by The Boston Globe | Wondery
13,268

Football star Aaron Hernandez went from the bright lights of the Super Bowl to a convicted murderer in a few years. The Boston Globe’s Spotlight Team, best known for its investigation of the sexual abuse scandal inside the Catholic Church, takes a hard look at the crisis facing football through the lens of Aaron Hernandez’s life and terrible crimes.

From Wondery, the podcast team that brought you Dr. Death, Spotlight asks: Did a brain badly damaged by football contribute to Hernandez’s violent behavior? Did he keep secrets about his sexuality that collided with a hyper-masculine football culture? Did elite coaches and teams look the other way as Hernandez was spiraling out of control?

Spotlight uncovered new documents, audio, and interviews to go deep into the story of what happened to Aaron Hernandez, and what it means for those of us who cheer on a violent game. 

All episodes of are available now. You can binge the series ad-free on Wondery+ or on Amazon Music with a Prime membership or Amazon Music Unlimited subscription.

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Recent Reviews
  • neuvo99
    Lesson: don’t beat your wife and kids!
    Aaron’s father gets off WAY too easy on this podcast. He beat his wife and sons! Got drunk and beat his family! Then the host “wonders” who could have made a difference???? Aaron’s father was a demon. That’s where the trouble started
  • KBoolay
    Gladiator
    Excellent!! thoroughly and truthfully investigated from all sides, exposing the Patriots failures and family dysfunction. I would never condone murder but this is a deep dive into how troubled he was, and how physical and emotional trauma affected him. It makes one question if Aaron Hernandez was drafted to a team anywhere else, would he have walked a different path? Maybe not, but this podcast made me wonder.
  • Oceang1rlNY
    Great series!
    Really good reporting. Thanks for being so thorough!
  • sarahandsylvia
    Not enough details
    They podcast didn’t go into why Aaron killed his friend, didn’t explore or delve into his early life or upbringing. This was a general over view of case
  • AMAEB262
    Podcast blames NFL
    No one held Hernández responsible for his actions ever. He got away with way too much. He was put on a pedal stool and everyone enabled him because he was a great football player. Change the culture and take responsibility both coaches and players and everyone involved.
  • mwehrli21
    Gripping docu-series!
    Well researched, reported, told and educated story, yet a sad one. Aaron battled his own issues and physically espoused trauma from an early age and speculatively didn’t want to nor could’ve break from those things.
  • austin hehe :)
    Very Well Reported
    Thank you for telling his story. This podcast was amazing. While his acts were unspeakable, the backstory and history provide at least some context and humanize him.
  • Air McNair Fan
    More complicated than I could imagine
    His life seemed riddled with pain and confusion. I learned a lot by listening. Very well told and detailed!
  • CGLR#1
    The Gladiator: The Aaron Hernandez Story
    Unfortunate a sad story but an interesting story. I enjoyed listening!
  • Anxious Mom 7
    San Soucie too thirsty for fame
    If Hernandez was bi, then so what?? This father son team see too desperate and contrived. Also, hasn’t it been proven that San Soucie was not the football star he claims to be?
  • missamandapants71189
    Quick Look
    I normally really love the research that goes into Wondery podcasts, but this felt like a watered down version of the Netflix docuseries. There are a few tidbits you get but not a ton. It was a good easy listen.
  • BestCoincidence
    Wondery’s the best!
    Very sad story on every aspect. Excellent production.
  • Whatever673
    My GOD. I cannot believe this is the Globe
    Read the article series, and hoped this would be better. This is nothing but crooning about who is responsible for the behavior of a sociopath who exhibited misanthropy and misogyny for *decades*. Terrible childhood, absolutely. But just because he could play a sport, he gets a pass at accountability for murder. This man was a serial killer, full stop. Don't kid yourselves.
  • Shane_1542
    This is swag
    Football is kool
  • SKwalter2
    Fascinating. Just fascinating
    I love football. I always have. Listening to the Gladiator series makes me doubtful about the viability of football moving forward. I’m sure it will continue unabated, and Aaron’s case has just been another hurdle to contend with. Aaron’s entire story has been fascinating, and there was so much I didn’t know that this series brought to light, most notably the phone calls from jail. I’m not a clinician, but I think that his advanced CTE was certainly a contributing factor in unraveling his life. If people had stepped up, would things have been different? Maybe, but would any substantive changes, born out of that intervention, have been genuine, or would the chameleon inside have just put up a front? I have no idea. Still, I’m glad I listened to the series, and hope they come out with more on this story.
  • azisling
    Great Listen
    This was an excellent podcast, enlightening and well reported. I love the details given that were unknown to me. Maybe in New England more of this was available, but for people in other parts of the country a lot was new to me.
  • Compa memo
    Keep it going!!!
    You guys should continue with phone calls from jail. Amazing podcast!!!
  • soulfulblues
    Not Just a Story
    Humanized story of a young man that was gifted but so troubled.
  • DeeGram
    Boston rag
    Brian McGrory is a sexual deviant.
  • stenellalong
    Balanced story telling
    I really like how there is no attempt to justify anything that happened with him, but try to show us everything that influenced how his journey turned out. Excellent narration.
  • GardeningSeamstress
    Well done
    Informative and well told.
  • Spin 15
    Loved it!
    Great listen!
  • Bombdiggitty.com
    CTE...
    Can’t believe it and it was very tragic and being in medicine and I can relate to his Brain damage. My father died of this too.. love to talk
  • TK81c
    Rivotting
    Bob and his team did an awesome job on this. I listened to the whole thing on my way back from California. I’m not a huge football fan, but appreciate the game. I’m also from CT, so the story is close to home - I remember when this was in the local/national news cycles. I look forward to listening to more Podcasts from Bob and his team. -TK
  • Bugs with v 2.0
    Great!
    Such a great podcast and really kept me interested. They really put things together well and presented it in such a respectful way.
  • Jimmyjoedresser132
    Captures your interest
    Well told. Like a page turner for podcasts.
  • LilyViolet$
    Very informative
    Well researched and presented in an orderly sequence. The reporting is exceptional. Thanks to The Spotlight Team.
  • Hookah37
    Aaron Hernandez
    This is a great series, I wish it was on tv..lol...I been following all the shows on him. Thank you!
  • Brynabee521
    Gladiator???!!!???
    Calling this podcast Gladiator as though Aaron Hernandez is some kind of hero is disturbing. He’s a murderer who played football for a few years. He is NO Gladiator. This is so messed up.
  • Stoneform2142
    Awesome!
    Really loved the narration followed by the interviews and sound effects, you really get caught into the story with everything combined into one!!
  • cat#dog face
    Don’t like
    I don’t like football 🏈 probably not very good
  • Amyy Lynn
    Amazing!
    I absolutely loved this podcast!! I think it’s my favorite one by wondery!!
  • pround1221
    Info is spotty
    A 5 minute google search shows Dennis wasn’t Aaron’s quarterback, he wasn’t even listed as a qb also didn’t play the same years as him. Don’t continue putting out wrong information
  • dmlovelife
    Great Job
    After watching the Netflix series, I decided to listen to this podcast and the podcast did a much better job at explaining the story.
  • GothamGargoyle
    Excellent series
    A PERFECTLY named series that dives deep into football culture and all of the darkness the players carry with them.
  • Runnymascara
    Enlightening
    I think this series as well as the Netflix show failed to focus on the trauma A. Hernandez suffered as a physically and sexually abused child. This most likely contributed to his behaviors also.
  • Trish Miner
    Review
    It’s a shame that Nobody did anything to help Hernandez! It also a shame that he became part of the 27 club, that is much too young to lose your life.
  • lizzyking23
    Great podcast buttttt....
    One thing that stuck out in my mind was, “CTE never made any other athlete commit homicide” ummm what about Oj????!
  • COWBOY68
    Very Good
    This podcast is very well done , lots of info and interviews that give you the complete story of a troubled individual. One disappointment was the episode where they pretty much blame CTE for all of Hernandez’s problems and question why us sickos watch this violent game and let our children play it ....that was a little much. Stick to the facts , don’t preach and spout nonsense.
  • DeniseAJo
    A Sad Tale
    A very well presented story of a young man with so much promise.
  • Lonestar7007
    Well done
    Good info, presented very well. Enough serial without going too far into it.
  • Clontzem
    Very good
    Very good reporting, interviews, content and narrating. Very professional story telling. I don’t watch NFL football; however, I still found the story to be very interesting.
  • paul man 12435
    Good
    Good
  • Da Seer
    Intriguing and well presented
    The last two episodes were seemingly anticlimactic for my taste it would have been 5 stars had it ended with the same degree of intensity that carried the story beforehand.
  • Dale Bare
    Garbage
    Much like munchkins, this podcast is garbage!!!!!
  • Nurseangie05
    Superb!
    I was impressed at the level of journalism in this podcast. Great reporting, better then Netflix documentary
  • DebDeeeee
    One of the BEST!
    Serious and well produced. No giggling podcasters or comedic commercial breaks to disrupt the tone of the of the story. No scratchy muffled phone recordings. Well modulated, even toned professional broadcaster voices. Thank you and more please.
  • Lov20
    The best
    This was great! Love Spotlight! Can we get more
  • G-Rant!
    Better Than The Netflix Series
    This podcast covers far more detail and aspects of Aaron's life than the mini series on Netflix. I thoroughly enjoyed that, but found this twice as good.
  • kalgoespow
    Would listen to more!
    I really appreciate how fair this podcast by telling the truth with facts and with real evidence luke the phone recordings. Loved the class of the narrators and their opinions! Definitely would love to hear more about this in light of recent news. Peace and prayers to all effected.
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