New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez recently inked a five-year/$40 million contract. At only 22-years-old, the third year player out of Florida is now ensconced on one of the NFL’s most prominent teams, while playing only 119 miles from his childhood home of Bristol, Connecticut, which also happens to be the home base of ESPN.

During his first two NFL seasons, Hernandez averaged 62 receptions per campaign, including a whopping 79 grabs, amid last season’s Patriots Super Bowl runner-up finish.

Barring injury, Hernandez and teammate Rob Gronkowski are poised to serve as the gold standard at this position, for many years to come.

Above is an iFolloSports.com original photo of the 6-2 Hernandez, getting set to board the Patriots’ charter bus, at the Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel & Conference Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey, prior to a preseason game versus the New York Giants on Wednesday.

Hernandez has several million reasons to be a very happy man these days.