Tim Tebow is being credited for attempting to be a peacemaker for Aaron Hernandez when Tebow’s University of Florida teammate got into a scuffle in a bar.
Hernandez reportedly punched a bouncer in the head and broke the man’s ear drum, according to a report in the Orlando Sentinel . The April 2007 incident allegedly occurred at The Swamp Restaurant in Gainesville, Fla., when Hernandez was a freshman.
Hernandez, who was only 17 and therefore shouldn’t have been served in the first place, allegedly refused to pay his tab and when he and the bouncer got into a shouting match, the football player clocked him.
Hernandez was gone by the time police arrived, but Tebow was still around. The-then Gators QB told police that he witnessed the altercation and tried to resolve it, explaining that “he urged Hernandez to leave peacefully and tried to make arrangements to pay the bill.”
Police later caught up with Hernandez who did not appear to be drunk was “very polite and professional” during the interview.
For reasons that are evidently undetermined, the bouncer never pressed charges.”Gainesville police recommended Hernandez be charged with a felony, but it is unclear how the case was resolved because all of Hernandez’s other juvenile records are sealed.”
Although they may seem like the odd couple , as it were, Tebow “previously hosted Hernandez on a recruiting visit and at one point was close with the tight end,” according to ESPN . Both players informed their coach, Urban Meyer, about the incident.
Ironically, with Hernandez now released by the New England Patriots, there are rumors that Tebow, who was signed by the team as a backup quarterback, may take over the tight-end position .
Hernandez has been charged with murder and firearms violations in connection with the death of his friend Odin Lloyd, a semi-pro football player whose body was found in an industrial park near the NFL star’s home in North Attleboro, Massachusetts on June 17. He is currently being held without bail and has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Hernandez is also reportedly under a separate criminal investigation for a 2012 drive-by double homicide in Boston last year.
The former New England Patriots star tight end is currently in solitary confinement for his own protection in Bristol County (Massachusetts) Jail.