Nearly a week before former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez was found dead in his prison cell, Patriots' coach Bill Belichick called his former player's situation a tragedy.

Belichick was interviewed on last Thursday’s CNBC’s “Power Lunch” with Suzy Welch.

In the interview, Welch asked Belichick to play a word association game. When Welch brought up Hernandez's name, Belichick responded with, "Tragic."

“Heartbreaking,” Welch responded.

"Yes,” Belichick said. “That would be another word.”

Massachusetts Department of Corrections officials found Hernandez hanged in his cell early on Wednesday morning after an apparent suicide.

Hernandez had been found not guilty of a 2012 double murder of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado on Friday, but was already serving a life sentence for the 2013 murder Odin Lloyd.

About the Author

Keep Reading

A general view of the Atlanta Dream logo is shown at center court before their game against the Minnesota Lynx in an WNBA game at the Gateway Center Arena, Friday, June 27, 2025, in College Park, Ga. (Jason Getz / AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com

Featured

UPS driver Dan Partyka delivers an overnight package. As more people buy more goods online, the rapid and unrelenting expansion of e-commerce is causing real challenges for the Sandy-Springs based company. (Bob Andres/AJC 2022)

Credit: TNS