Top 25 Players in the SEC: No. 24 Aaron Hernandez

<p><i>This is the second in a 25-part series that counts down the best football players in the SEC heading into the 2009 season.</i></p><p><b>No. 24 AARON HERNANDEZ</b></p><p><b>Florida junior tight end</b></p><p><b>Why he's No. 24:</b> In 26 games (16 starts) Hernandez has 43 receptions for 532 yards (12.4 average), with a 55-yard career-long catch and seven touchdowns. The 6-foot-2, 250-pounder from Connecticut broke through as a sophomore, catching 34 passes for 381 yards and five touchdowns. He also was perhaps the best player for the defending BCS champs during spring practice.</p><p><b>Key numbers:</b> Five catches for 57 yards. Those were Hernandez's totals against Oklahoma in January's BCS title game. Both were team highs.</p><p><b>Fun facts:</b> Hernandez was the first true freshman tight end to start for Urban Meyer at Florida, doing so against Troy in 2007. Later that season he started against Florida State and Michigan. Also, his hometown is Bristol, Conn., headquarters of ESPN.</p>