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New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez during 2012 training camp at the team practice facility.(Photo: Stew Milne, USA TODAY Sports)
Story HighlightsA high school teammate of Aaron Hernandez says the NFL player represents his hometown of BristolThere have been signs of trouble in Hernandez personal life in high school and collegeFamily members say the death of his father changed Hernandez behavior dramatically
Aaron Hernandez's high school teammates from Bristol Central in Connecticut long ago grew used to the fame and attention Hernandez drew to their town and school, first as one of the best high school football players in the country and most recently as a star tight end for the New England Patriots.
The attention this week, with Hernandez in the middle of a homicide investigation in North Attleboro, Mass., has been altogether different.
"So all this that's going on for him today, it's overwhelming," said Dustin Tucker, a former classmate and teammate who graduated with Hernandez in 2007. "I guess you could say it's overwhelming for our whole city. He represents us, too, and the whole city and everything that we stand for."
EARLIER: Police spend 4 hours at Hernandez homeSaturday, police went into Hernandez's home for at least the third time this week. It was not known if Hernandez was there. Steven Hauschka Authentic Jersey ET. They did remove several bags.
Monday, a jogger found the body of Hernandez acquaintance Odin Lloyd, 27, a semi pro football player, in a nearby industrial park. Police said Lloyd was shot in the head. Cliff Avril Womens Jersey
Hernandez, 23, has not been publicly named a suspect, but ABC News, citing anonymous police sources, has reported that police could try to arrest Hernandez on charges of obstruction of justice. ABC News has reported that Hernandez destroyed his cellphone and Steven Hauschka Youth Jersey video surveillance system and had his home professionally cleaned Monday, the day Lloyd's body was found.
AREA VERDICT: Locals assume he's guilty
A clerk in the Attleboro District Court told USA TODAY Sports no arrest warrant had been issued when the offices Cliff Avril Kids Jersey close Friday.
Much of the news media focus this week has been on North Attleboro, not far from the Patriots' Foxborough, Mass., home. But Tucker said news media also descended on Bristol, a city of about 60,000 people 20 miles from Hartford. Bristol is home to ESPN, but Tucker said it had a small town vibe, adding, "Everyone knows everyone."
And now, few people know what to think.
Tucker said he had been asked frequently this week by friends about Hernandez and the investigation into Lloyd's death.
Last week another man footballseahawksprostore.com/Nike-Kj-Wright-Jersey.html from Connecticut filed a civil lawsuit in Florida saying Hernandez shot him in the face in February, causing him to lose an eye; he is seeking damages in excess of $100,000.
"I hope it's not true, but I can't make assumptions on if it's true or not. I really don't know, and I don't want to guess," Tucker said.
Tucker said he had made the two hour drive from Bristol to Foxborough several times to watch Hernandez play with the Patriots and caught up with Hernandez each time he was there. Tucker said he didn't want to bother Hernandez while he was in the midst of the investigation and would wait until there was resolution to contact him. But he said it was difficult to reconcile the friend and teammate he remembered with the reports he saw on television.
"I just don't want the papers to make him seem like a crazy person, you know? I feel bad for the people it happened to, the guy who died and the guy who got shot. My condolences go out to them. But I just don't like the fact that he's mixed up in all of this," Tucker said.
But there have been signs of trouble in Hernandez's personal life dating back to high school, issues that followed him to the University of Florida and now to his life as an NFL star.
Hernandez responded by lashing out at his family, footballseahawksprostore.com/Nike-Jon-Ryan-Jersey.html smoking marijuana and spending his free time hanging around with a rough crowd of young men in Bristol.
