Aaron Hernandez was a fantastic tight end for the New England Patriots. Yet he sabotaged his career and is still facing murder charges years after his first murder conviction!

Why is it that so many professional athletes flush their fantasies down the toilet in such foolish ways? It does not seem to take much for an athlete to stay out of major trouble. Why is not fabulous success a strong enough deterrent to crime and foolish behavior?

It would seem that success would overrule peer pressure. However, that does not always seem to be the case. Some athletes would rather ruin everything just to fit in and impress their friends. Indeed, Ray Lewis practically bragged that some of his closest friends were thugs, and that he was unable and unwilling to give them up. He, too, got into serious legal trouble and was almost convicted of a killing.

Athletes are going to have to learn that, in many cases, friends can be the number one reason for their downfall. They need to learn to choose their friends wisely, and in some cases, kick the bad ones to the curb with the quickness.