Former New England Patriots offensive tackle Matt Light says his former teammate Aaron Hernandez was given “massive reins” by legendary coach Bill Belichick before the troubled tight end was convicted of murder.

In a resurfaced 98.5 The Sports Hub interview with Scott Zolak and Marc “Beetle” Bertrand from earlier this year, Light addressed long-standing rumors that he and Hernandez had altercations in the Patriots locker room.

“Look, we got to know each other pretty well,” Light replied when asked about a “fight” with Hernandez in the locker room.

“We did things very organized, right? The way Bill (Belichick) ran the meetings, the way we practiced, the way we prepared for games, the way we played games. We went about things a certain way, and then at certain times, people come in and don’t comply. And for some reason, they’re given a little more leeway. I would say it’s safe to say Hernandez had more leeway to do it his way than most players,” Light recalled.

“And this was year 10 and 11 for me, so I knew what was expected,” Light continued on the podcast. “I knew how things should have gone. But here’s this young guy who’s kind of bucking the trend. So as a veteran, it was up to guys like me to be able to tell a guy like him, ‘Hey, man, that’s not how we do it. You know, that’s the expectation.’ And there were definitely times when that wasn’t met with an, ‘Oh, hey, thanks, buddy. I appreciate you looking out for me.'”

Hernandez’s story is sure to make headlines again soon when the FX biopic series is released American sports history: Aaron Hernandez.

Actor Josh Rivera plays Hernandez in the Ryan Murphy-produced series, which is set to premiere on FX on September 17 and stream on Hulu the next day.

Belichick has remained silent about his association with Hernandez over the years, even after the former NFL star was found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Odin Lloyd in 2015 and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Hernandez was also charged with the double murder of Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado in 2012 and acquitted in 2017.

That same year, Hernandez was found dead in his cell and the death was ruled a suicide. After his death, he was diagnosed with CTE. His remarkable rise and fall has been the subject of numerous documentaries or docuseries, including Netflix’s Killer Inside: The Ghost of Aaron Hernandez.

In his interview, Light also recalled an instance in which Hernandez did not seem to respect his veteran status.

“I was also the (NFLPA) player rep, so you know how it is as a player rep: You have stuff you have to put in the lockers. So I said to one of the rookies, ‘Hey, rooky guy, make sure this goes in everybody’s lockers.’ And when I got to him and it was his turn, and I did it evenly because I’m not an idiot, I said, ‘Hey Aaron, look, make sure that stuff goes in the lockers.’ And they’re not going in the lockers. So I said, ‘OK. You’re obviously peeing on my shoes while smiling in my face. That’s not going over well. You need to hold these guys accountable.’

Light continued, “I think what’s annoying is that we had a way of doing business and for some reason some people were spared. That didn’t happen very often. He was definitely one of them. And I think if more people like him had stood up and said, ‘Hey man, that’s not how we do it,’ I don’t know, maybe it wouldn’t have changed his trajectory, but maybe it would, I don’t know.”

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, texting “988” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741, or going to 988lifeline.org.

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