DJ has faced multiple legal issues of his own.
Highlights
- DJ and Aaron Hernandez were raised in an abusive household by their father, Dennis Hernandez.
- DJ Hernandez had a successful college football career at UConn and later pursued coaching positions at various institutions.
- In recent years, DJ has faced multiple legal challenges, including a car chase, a brick-throwing incident, and threats of mass violence.
Dennis Johnathan Hernandez, also known as DJ Hernandez or Jonathan Hernandez, is the older brother of the late NFL player Aaron Hernandez, who died of suicide on April 19, 2017, in his cell at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center in Massachusetts.
Aaron was in prison for the murder of Odin Lloyd, a semi-professional football player who was dating the sister of Hernandez’s fiancée.
Born and raised in Bristol, Connecticut, DJ and Aaron were the sons of Dennis and Terri Hernandez.
Their father, Dennis Hernandez, was a former football star who pushed his sons hard to excel in sports and academics.
However, his methods were often abusive. Dennis would reportedly physically punish DJ and Aaron for poor grades, bad behavior, or even minor infractions.
The boys also witnessed domestic violence, with their father frequently abusing their mother, Terri Valentine-Hernandez.
Nevertheless, Dennis Sr. played a significant role in shaping their athletic careers.
DJ has mentioned that their father’s death in 2006 had a profound impact on Aaron, contributing to his downward spiral.
DJ Lives A Quiet Life With Wife Karen And Their Two Children In Tampa, FL
DJ Hernandez is married to Karen Hernandez, with whom he has two children: a daughter named Parker and a son named Landon Airo. The family lives in Tampa, Florida.
Karen is an independent skincare consultant and occasionally shares glimpses of their family life on social media.
The family has maintained a relatively private life, especially in the wake of the media scrutiny following Aaron and DJ’s legal troubles and subsequent death.
Interestingly, all posts featuring DJ have been removed from Karen’s Instagram page.
DJ Was A Standout College Quarterback And WR Before Becoming A Coach
DJ attended Bristol Central High School, where he excelled as a multi-sport athlete, particularly in football.
His prowess on the field earned him a scholarship to the University of Connecticut (UConn), where he initially played as a quarterback before transitioning to wide receiver in his final two years.
He was a two-year team captain and played in 27 career games, with 13 starts at quarterback and five at wide receiver.
He completed 132-of-237 passes for 1,364 yards with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions as a quarterback.
As a wide receiver, he caught 30 passes for 404 yards with two touchdowns.
After graduating from UConn, DJ pursued a career in coaching, holding various positions at institutions at Brown University and the University of Iowa.
He also served as the head coach at Ledyard High School in Connecticut.
DJ also wrote a book titled “The Truth About Aaron: My Journey to Understand My Brother,” where he shared insights into his brother Aaron Hernandez’s life and their tumultuous upbringing.
DJ Has Faced Numerous Legal Challenges
In recent years, DJ has faced legal challenges of his own.
In March 2023, DJ was involved in a car chase in Connecticut. The police attempted to pull him over, but he evaded them, leading to a foot chase.
He was charged with reckless driving and police pursuit but later pled guilty to lesser charges of failure to drive in a proper lane and failure to use traffic control signals.
On March 23, 2023, DJ was arrested for allegedly throwing bricks with a note attached at the ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Connecticut.
The note criticized the media’s impact on families of victims. He was detained and later released.
In July 2023, DJ made multiple statements via Facebook Messenger threatening to carry out a shooting at the University of Connecticut.
#BREAKING: DJ Hernandez, brother of Aaron Hernandez, has been arrested for a fourth time this year. This time, for planning school shootings, according to the latest arrest warrant. https://t.co/KoJv1ek5tG pic.twitter.com/hO4PNaj0Th
— WFSB Channel 3 (@WFSBnews) July 25, 2023
He pled guilty to making interstate threats in federal court.
The statements included threats to harm or kill individuals and indicated a willingness to give his life for his cause.
His sentencing is scheduled for February 6, 2025.
Additional Information
- Aaron set the state record for receiving yards in a single game with 376, which is the seventh-best in national high school history. He also set a national high school record for yards receiving per game with 180.7.
- DJ has a passion for muscle cars and enjoys working on them in his spare time.
- In addition to his football prowess, Aaron was an exceptional basketball player and track runner during high school.
