Brutal deaths, killing cults, and body counts . . . no I’m not talking about the new slasher Halloween movie. In this special holiday post, we take a look at the spooky dark side of NFL football.
With Halloween right around the corner, I thought it would be fun to do some holiday themed posts for Scorum. These posts aren’t meant to be graphic or upsetting, but rather, they are only meant for a bit of holiday fun. So come along for a macabre ride through the dark history of NFL athletes who turned violent and committed murder.
Please note: the athletes I mention in this post were all convicted of murder. I have refrained from including athletes who were charged or suspected of committing murder but were never found guilty. So you won’t find you-know-who on this list.
Aaron Hernandez (New England Patriots 2010 - 2012)
Murders: 1 - 3
The story of Aaron Hernandez is one that even to this day continues to unwind and reveal itself with new reports coming out just hours ago about Hernandez suffering from sexual abuse when he was a child, revealing more pieces to the complex puzzle of his life. Going from a Super Bowl appearance to a prison suicide, Hernandez’s life was as traumatic as it was unbelievable.
A product of the Florida Gators football program, Aaron Hernandez was drafted to the NFL by the New England Patriots in 2010. From there, he had three productive seasons with the Patriots including a Super Bowl XLVI appearance. Then in the offseason of 2013, Hernandez’s football career came to a screeching halt when he was charged and arrested for murder of semi-professional football player Odin Lloyd.
The murder of Odin Lloyd was not the first time Hernandez had been in legal trouble, but it was the one that finally landed him in prison. Prior to his death, Odin Lloyd was dating Hernandez’s sister. Lloyd and Hernandez had become semi-friends and had spent some time together. Then on the night of June 7, 2013, Lloyd had said something to Hernandez that caused a disagreement, then while the two met to in a parking lot to make a drug (weed) sell, Hernandez shot and killed Lloyd, leaving his body in the empty lot.
Aaron Hernandez was found guilty of first degree murder and 5 felony gun charges. While undergoing trail for those crimes, two more murder charges were filed against him from a prior incident in Boston in 2012. Eventually he would be acquitted for the two killings in Boston, but only days before trail, Hernandez committed suicide in prison by hanging himself in his cell with his bed-sheets, and thus, that is how the disturbing life of Aaron Hernandez ends.
Anthony Smith (LA/Oakland Raiders 1991 - 1997)
Murders: 4
Anthony Wayne Smith was drafted by the then-LA Raiders in 1990 and played as defensive end for six seasons. In 1997 he left the NFL, opting out of his contract. A few years later in 2003, before being charged with murder, Smith was involved in a violent firebombing of a furniture store over a money dispute.
It wasn’t until 2011 until Smith’s criminal past really began to catch up with him. It was then that the first murder charges came forward, beginning with the 2008 murder of Maurilio Ponce. Anthony Smith abducted Ponce, beat him severely, before finally shooting him. Mr. Ponce was a mechanic, and the motive for the murder was merely just a business disagreement.
A year later, in 2013 during his retrial, Smith was charged with three new murderers. Two of the killings were the 1999 murders of brothers Kevin and Ricky Nettles, who were kidnapped, tortured and then murdered. The other killing was the 2012 violent stabbing of Dennis Henderson. This makes Anthony Smith one of the most heinous athlete killers of all time but not the absolute worse.
Robert Rozier (St. Louis Cardinals 1979)
Murders: 7
Robert Rozier is the only person on the list to reach serial killer status. Although Robert’s time in the NFL was short, only playing six games before being released for drug charges, his infamous legacy is much further reaching. Upon exiting the NFL, Robert went on to join a cult called “The Brotherhood.” While in this cult, he murdered at least 7 different people—eventually pleading guilty to these killings.
Robert Rozier’s career started out so brightly. He attended and played defensive end for the University of California at Berkeley. Upon graduation in 1979, he was drafted in the 6th round by the St. Louis Cardinals. While with the Cardinals, Robert played only six games before being released from his contract for suspicion of drug use.
After leaving the NFL, Robert joined “The Brotherhood” cult lead by Yahweh ben Yahweh. The cult was based on the Black Hebrew Israelite religion and was twisted into a black supremacist group. To join this cult and stay a member one had to kill a white person, who they deem the “white devil.” While in this cult, Robert committed many murders.
Eventually in October of 1986, while on trial, Robert Rozier plead guilty to the killing of 7 white individuals, making Robert Rozier the first serial killer to ever play in the NFL. He was sentenced to 22 years in prison, but he only had to serve 10 years after agreeing to a plea deal with authorities. This plea deal involved Robert testifying against cult leader Yahweh ben Yahweh and then going into witness protection. Years after his release, he was arrested again while living in Canada when he was found guilty of fraud and passing off multiple bad checks. Robert Rozier is now serving a new sentence of 25 years to life in Canadian prison.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Comments