The rise and fall of Aaron Hernandez: How he went from a rising star to a convicted murderer in the blink of an eye

Steven Senne/AP

Former NFL tight end Aaron Hernandez was found dead of an apparent suicide in his jail cell on Wednesday, authorities said.

Hernandez was serving a life sentence for after he was convicted of the murder of semiprofessional football player Odin Lloyd, 27, whom Hernandez knew socially, in 2013.

Hernandez’s life was a tragic roller coaster that began with the death of his father, saw him rise to stardom in both college and the NFL, and then fell apart when he was charged in the deaths of three people before taking his own life.

Below is a look at how Hernandez went from football star to convicted murderer.