New England Patriots draftee Aaron Hernandez said Tuesday that he violated the University of Florida's substance-abuse policy once, but the tight end denied published reports that he was a multiple offender.
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"Leading up to the draft, I provided every interested NFL team with all the information asked of me about football and my personal life," Hernandez said in a statement released by the Patriots (via the *Boston Globe*). "I was as candid as I could possibly be about everything, including my one single violation of the team's substance testing policy over the course of three years at the University of Florida. That is why I was very surprised and disappointed by the recent inaccurate report of additional violations.
"I regret what happened, I learned from it and will make better decisions going forward. I couldn't be more excited about beginning my NFL career and representing the New England Patriots well."
The Patriots declined to comment on Hernandez, whom they drafted in the fourth round (113th overall) last week. Hernandez set records for a Florida tight end last season with 68 catches and 850 receiving yards while playing with star quarterback Tim Tebow, a first-round pick by the Denver Broncos.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.