Aaron Hernandez arrived at the University of Florida in 2007 with a few disadvantages: He was far from his home in Bristol, Conn., and was only 17 years old, having graduated early from high school. But because he played for the Florida football team, he had a powerful ally from the moment he arrived on campus: criminal defense attorney Huntley Johnson.
In addition to donating at least $4,500 to Florida's athletic fund since 2011, according to booster-club records, Johnson, a 66-year-old graduate of Florida's law school, has become the go-to attorney for Florida athletes who get into trouble with the law. Over the past two decades, the Gainesville lawyer has represented dozens of Gators players in criminal cases ranging from allegations of misdemeanor assault to felony burglary. So prevalent is Johnson at the side of accused Gators that in a 2009 article, the Orlando Sentinel described him as the football program's "defensive MVP."
