‘American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez’: See side-by-side photos of cast with the real people

The turbulent rise and fall of former football star Aaron Hernandez turned him into one of the most notorious NFL players in history.

Hernandez's journey from turbulent childhood to football stardom, and his stunning conviction for murder are dramatized in the new series "American Sports Story: Aaron Hernandez" that premieres on FX and begins streaming on Hulu Sept. 17.

The 10-episode series detailing Hernandez's fall from grace is based on the podcast "Gladiator: Aaron Hernandez and Football Inc." from The Boston Globe and Wondery.

It features actors portraying legendary football figures like Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer and Bill Belichick, as well as Hernandez and his family members.

Below, see the cast and the real-life figures they portray in the film.

Josh Andrés Rivera as Aaron Hernandez

Josh Andrés Rivera, 29, made a splash in his acting debut in 2021 as Chino in Steven Spielberg's remake of "West Side Story." He also appeared in last year's "Hunger Games" prequel, "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes."

In "American Sports Story," Rivera appears bulked up to play Hernandez, who was a star tight end for the University of Florida and then for three seasons with the New England Patriots. Hernandez was listed at 6-foot-1 and 245 pounds during his playing career.

Hernandez was convicted of first-degree murder in 2015. He died by suicide in prison two years later.

Jaylen Barron as Shayanna Jenkins

Jaylen Barron, 26, is best known for her role as Dominique Winslow on the Showtime series "Shameless," which she played in 2016. She also has starred in the Netflix series "Free Rein" and most recently the Starz series "Blindspotting."

Barron plays Shayanna Jenkins, who was engaged to Hernandez at the time he was convicted of murder in the death of Odin Lloyd, who was dating Jenkins' sister.

Ean Castellanos as DJ Hernandez

Ean Castellanos has appeared on the shows "Tommy," "High Maintenance" and "Arcadia."

He will play Aaron Hernandez's older brother, Dennis "DJ" Hernandez, a former football player himself who played at the University of Connecticut in the mid-2000s. The elder Hernandez has also run into legal trouble in the years since his brother's death.

Thomas Sadoski as Brian Murphy

Thomas Sadoski, 48, plays Aaron Hernandez's agent, Brian Murphy.

Sadoski appeared in the Reese Witherspoon moving "Wild" in 2014 and has been in two of the "John Wick" films with Keanu Reeves. He was a series regular on the HBO show "The Newsroom" and the CBS shows "Life in Pieces" and "Tommy."

Patrick Schwarzenegger as Tim Tebow

Schwarzenegger, 30, is an actor and model who has had a recurring role on Amazon's "Gen V," a spinoff of the superhero hit "The Boys." He also will be part of the cast of the next season of the HBO hit "White Lotus."

Schwarzenegger, who is the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver, will play football great Tim Tebow. The retired quarterback became a college football legend at the University of Florida, where he was teammates with Hernandez for three years.

Tebow later played for the Patriots himself in 2013. He called Hernandez's murder trial "heartbreaking and sad."

Tony Yazbeck as Urban Meyer

Tony Yazbeck, 45, is a Broadway actor who has also appeared in the shows "Billions" and "Smash."

He plays former University of Florida head coach Urban Meyer, who was Hernandez's college coach. In 2013, after Hernandez was charged with murder, Meyer denied reports that Hernandez failed multiple drug tests while at Florida, yet was still allowed to play. "Hernandez was held to the same drug testing policy as every other player," he said at the time.

Meyer led teams to three national championships between Florida and Ohio State during his Hall of Fame coaching career. He is currently a college football studio analyst for Fox Sports.

Norbert Leo Butz as Bill Belichick

Tony award winner Norbert Leo Butz, who starred in Netflix's "Bloodline" and was part of last year's "Justified" spinoff "Justified: City Primeval," will play one of football's most legendary coaches.

Butz portrays former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who led them to a record six Super Bowl titles in his tenure and has the second-most wins of any coach in NFL history.

Belichick was Hernandez's head coach during his time on the Patriots. He released a statement in 2013 after Hernandez was charged with murder.

“As the coach of the team, I’m primarily responsible for the people that we bring into the football operation,” Belichick said at a news conference, according to NFL.com. "Overall, I’m proud of the hundreds of players that have come through this program, but I’m personally disappointed and hurt in a situation like this.”

Belichick parted ways with New England after the 2023 season and now has become a media personality with appearances on "Inside the NFL," the "Manningcast" and "The Pat McAfee Show."

This article was originally published on TODAY.com