How ironic was it to see Ray Lewis talking about Aaron Hernandez during his debut as an ESPN NFL analyst?

All things considered, it was very ironic. The newly retired linebacker has his own history of murder allegations stemming from a Super Bowl party after his Ravens toppled the Giants in a 34-7 blowout in January of 2000. Lewis was involved in a deadly fight with a group of men that resulted in the stabbing deaths of Jacinth Baker and Richard Lollar, and Lewis' white suit from that evening was never found. He admitted to lying to cops the next day, but ultimately there was never enough evidence to convict anyone of murder. Lewis was only charged with probation for obstruction of justice.

Following that incident, it comes as no surprise that ESPN brought him in to discuss the latest NFL player to be surrounded by murder allegations. The biggest difference this time, however, is that the odds are much more against Hernandez as the proof has continued to pile up. When one analyst asked whether the Hernandez story has damaged the NFL's image, Lewis chimed in.

"I want to make sure we clear something up because we have to do this for our brand of the National Football League: Our numbers are very small when it comes to the pain and the crime that happens in everyday America, the numbers of athletes that get in trouble," Lewis said.

"New England had to know something, just like 31 other teams had to know something about Aaron Hernandez's background, and that's your red flag. Now, it's up to you to say, 'You know what, I'm still going to try that.'"

Lewis also added that players need to watch who they hang out with because one never knows when he will be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Before we're athletes, we're human beings," he said. "The bottom line is we will find a way as human beings to make a mistake somewhere down the road. The biggest thing I had to change ... was I had to change the people I was around because the people I was around wasn't thinking the way I was thinking."

Hernandez was indicted earlier this month in the shooting death of Odin Lloyd. He pleaded not guilty to murdering Lloyd and remains jailed as he awaits trial. Bristol County District Attorney C. Samuel Sutter said there is a "tremendous amount of evidence" that will be used against Hernandez, while the defendant's attorneys say they are confident that Hernandez will be "exonerated" following the trial.