NFL teams have increasingly prioritized 12 personnel by keeping an extra tight end on the field in the past few years. But back in the early 2010s, the New England Patriots revolutionized the position with franchise legends Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez, who formed the league’s premier tight end duo. Hernandez was a dominant force and would run riots when he got the ball. On the occasions he didn’t get a lot of the ball, he wasn’t afraid to walk to the coach’s office and demand more of the ball. Former Patriots quarterback Mac Jones recently revealed a story he was told by Bill O’Brien, a longtime coach with the franchise.

“One time, he (Hernandez) was in his (Bill O’Brien) office, and they had meetings, everyone went to bed, whatever,” Jones said on Bussin’ With The Boys. “It was like fall camp, and he didn’t have a lot of targets, Hernandez. And then the next morning, on OB’s (O’Brien) whiteboard was like, ‘Throw the ball to Hernandez,’ written like 150 times. And I guess, he went in there and wrote it. He wrote it on the wall and was like, ‘Throw me the ball,’ and put it like a hundred times. And Bill O’Brien was like, ‘I’m throwing that guy the ball.'”

The Patriots had picked a pair of tight ends during the 2010 NFL draft. After picking Gronkowski in the second round with the 42nd overall pick, Bill Belichick’s team doubled down on the position and selected Hernandez in the fourth round with the 113th overall pick. However, Belichick named Hernandez the third tight end on the depth chart.

As a result, the Patriots legend went on to appear in 14 games, started just 7, and recorded 45 receptions for 563 yards and 6 touchdowns. Gronkowski, meanwhile, started 11 games in 16 appearances and recorded 42 receptions for 546 yards and 10 touchdowns.

However, as his career progressed and he started showing dominance, Hernandez became a regular starter. He became such a vital cog of the team that he could walk into O’Brien’s office and demand more off the ball, and the coach would have to oblige as that could win Patriots the game.

Belichick named him the second starting tight end behind Gronkowski, as the tight end duo went on to record a historic season for the Patriots. Gronk finished the season with a career high 90 receptions for 1,327 yards and 17 touchdowns, leading the league in receiving touchdowns. Hernandez, meanwhile, complemented him with his own career-high 79 receptions for 910 yards and 7 touchdowns.

In the process, Hernandez and Gronkowski became the first tight end duo in NFL history to record at least five touchdowns each in back-to-back seasons for the same team. The same year, they also set league records for a tight end duo by combining for 169 receptions, 2,237 receiving yards, and 24 touchdowns. That said, what started as a playful plea eventually resulted in Aaron Hernandez recording the best season of his career. His career with the Patriots in the NFL, however, ended abruptly after off-field issues.