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The chaos between LSU coaches who left Ole Miss alongside Lane Kiffin but are still coaching the Rebels in the College Football Playoff is certainly a whirlwind.
Ole Miss quarterbacks coach Joe Judge found himself in the middle of the drama — even though he’s not headed to Baton Rouge, he had to consider who he’d be working with each week.
When asked this week what it was like to go through all the trials and tribulations, Judge turned heads with his answer that touched on his days with the New England Patriots.
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Aaron Hernandez sits in the Attleboro District Court courtroom during his hearing. Former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez has been charged with first-degree murder for the death of Odin Lloyd in North Attleboro, Massachusetts on August 22, 2013. (Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
“My next door neighbor was Aaron Hernandez,” Judge said, according to CBS Sports. “I know it’s even more chaotic.”
Hernandez was convicted of the murder of Odin Lloyd in 2013, which occurred just three years into his NFL career.
“If you watch these documentaries, my house is on the TV next door,” Judge added. “The detectives knocked on my door wanting to know where he was. I didn’t know. We just kind of talked to the organization. But it was obviously chaotic.”
Aaron Hernandez was convicted of the 2013 murder of semi-professional football player Odin Lloyd. (Reuters/Brian Snyder)
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Judge, however, was able to compare the two situations to see how players can combat wild distractions.
“Those players that year handled it extremely well. We came out of that chaos and we had really good leadership on the inside with veterans and different guys. Something like that happens – how do you handle something like that? How do you handle something like that? So you stay focused on what you can handle, what you can control, what at the time was football for us, and we got through that period and we were able to have success that year,” he said. Judge said.
Judge also compared this scenario to the 2020 NFL season when he was head coach of the New York Giants, saying he would have “no idea” who would be available due to surprise positive COVID-19 tests.
New York Giants head coach Joe Judge looks on during the second quarter against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. The match took place in East Rutherford, New Jersey on December 19, 2021. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
The Rebels will face Miami in the Fiesta Bowl, the College Football Playoff semifinal, on Thursday night.
