"I knew he was a beautiful soul" - When Cam Newton opened up about Aaron Hernandez after time together with Florida Gators

Years after tragedy eclipsed talent, Cam Newton offered a strikingly personal reflection on Aaron Hernandez.

In a moment of vulnerability during a 2021 podcast appearance, Newton stepped back from football talk to speak about the late tight end. They both briefly shared a locker room at the University of Florida.

"I saw the younger him," Newton said in February 2021, via "I Am Athlete."

"The way he's portrayed as a villain, that's not him. Don't get me wrong, in all respects of what happened, there were bodies that were damaged, and I'm not denying what was done was bad. But I knew a beautiful soul. He was fun loving, and he just wanted to make it to the league."

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Newton acknowledged the pain caused by Hernandez’s actions. The ex-Patriot was convicted of murder in 2015 and died by suicide in prison two years later.

Cam Newton called Florida's 2006-2007 classes "most dominant ever"

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Cam Newton and Aaron Hernandez arrived in Gainesville in 2007, part of what Newton later called one of the "most dominant" recruiting classes in history.

The Florida Gators locker room at that time brimmed with future NFL names, including Tim Tebow, the Pouncey twins and Chris Rainey.

Newton described the Florida program under Urban Meyer as both elite and combustible.

"That was a very toxic locker room," Newton said in April 2024, via "Club Shay Shay." "We still had success, but damn it was a combination of a lot of talent that was boiling over. And there was times where it was just unmanageable and there were also times where it was a thing of beauty where it was a competition everyday, every practice."

Newton also revisited his time in Florida with pride, listing the 2006 and 2007 Gator squads as contenders for the best recruiting classes ever.

“Two recruit classes back to back years, who had the best? That’s the question that I’ve got to the fans," Newton said in July, via "4th and 1." "‘06 University of Florida and ‘07 University of Florida. Those recruiting classes combined probably was the most dominant ever."

Newton’s Gator tenure was short-lived. Following an ankle injury and an off-field controversy, he transferred and eventually rocketed to stardom with Auburn and the Carolina Panthers. Hernandez stayed and became a national champion and a third-round NFL draft pick.