Tim Tebow, who is entering his first year with the New England Patriots, spoke about the Aaron Hernandez murder case to reporters at the opening of Patriots training camp Friday.
Tebow described the murder charge against Hernandez, who Tebow played at the University of Florida, as "heartbreaking."
"It's just heartbreaking and sad, and all my thoughts and prayers go out to all the families that were involved," Tebow said according to ESPN.com. "I understand why you have to ask all the questions; that's part of doing your job. Part of mine is listening to instruction, and we've been told not to talk about it."
Tebow played for the New York Jets last season, but wasn't used much and the whole situation gained a lot of media attention as the Jets were criticized for not using Tebow, and many wondered why he was brought to the team in the first place. Tebow has been met with the same media attention in New England and the third string quarterback answered questions on all different topics following his first practice with the team.
One of the major questions going into this season is how New England will use Tebow, who is third on the depth chart at signal caller behind star quarterback Tom Brady and No. 2 Ryan Mallett. According to reports, Tebow played quarterback in 11-on-11 drills Friday, but also did some running drills with the football, trying to avoid defenders. The running drills may have been a sign that New England is looking to use Tebow as a weapon on the ground.
Tebow talked to reporters about learning with Brady, calling him, "one of the best of all time," and said he considered his time in New York "a learning opportunity." Tebow was saddened by the news of Aaron Hernandez, and came to the defense of his former coach at Florida, Urban Meyer, who has come under scrutiny following the Hernandez murder case.
"I feel like Coach Meyer is a great man, one of the best I've had the privilege of being around," Tebow said per ESPN. "He is someone that not only tries to win football games; he's someone who tries to invest in young men's lives and help young men grow. He cares very deeply about that. That's one of the reasons I'm so close to him and so proud of him."
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