To most, Aaron Hernandez was a villain.
To Mike Pouncey, he remained a friend to the end.
Hernandez, the Patriots tight end-turned-convicted murderer, hanged himself in his prison cell early Wednesday morning, according to officials.
Pouncey, who was close with Hernandez since their time together at the University of Florida, said goodbye on Instagram hours later.
“To my friend my brother! Through thick and thin right or wrong we never left each other's side,” Pouncey wrote, beside a picture of a smiling Hernandez in a Patriots uniform. “Today my heart hurts as I got the worse news I could have imagined.