O.J. Simpson, a former football star who later became an actor and was cleared of all charges in a dramatic trial involving the murder of his ex-wife and her friend, passed away from cancer, according to his family. He passed away on Wednesday at his Las Vegas residence at the age of 76.
His family posted on his official X account On April 10th “our father, Orenthal James Simpson, lost his battle with cancer.His kids and grandkids were all around him. In this period of change, his family kindly requests that you honor their requests for discretion and dignity.
An Overview of O.J. Simpson’s Life
Simpson was found liable in a civil claim brought by the family members of the victims after three years of his criminal trial, even though he was not found guilty of the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.
His ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman were found dead outside their Brentwood condominium on June 12, 1994. As Simpson was prime suspect in the killings, charges were brought against him. After that Simpson had filed a plea of not guilty to a domestic abuse case against Nicole Brown Simpson during their marriage. Rather than surrender he tried to escape in his white Ford Bronco and the police pursued him at a leisurely speed, setting off a media frenzy. The June 17 televised pursuit attracted approximately 95 million viewers.
After the trial turned into a media circus, Simpson was found not guilty of the two murders. However, when Goldman’s family filed a civil lawsuit against Simpson in 1997, he was judged accountable for both Nicole Brown Simpson’s abuse and Goldman’s tragic death. He was ordered to reimburse $33.5 million for losses.
He was granted parole in 2017 after spending nearly nine years in jail for robbery, abduction, and other offenses related to a Las Vegas sports memorabilia conspiracy.
O.J. Simpson’s Acting Journey
Before turning professionally as a football player, he began acting while still a student at USC, making appearances on “Medical Center.” While still playing in the NFL, he had appearances in television miniseries “Roots” and motion pictures like “The Towering Inferno,” “The Cassandra Crossing,” and “The Klansman.”
He played in three “Naked Gun” films and the comedy “Back to the Beach” after retiring from football. When he was arrested, the NBC adventure series “Frogmen” abruptly ended after he had finished a two-hour pilot.
The infamous trial has been documented in a number of Hollywood movies and television shows, including the Oscar-winning “O.J.: Made in America” (2016), FX’s “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” (2016) starring Cuba Gooding Jr., Investigation Discovery’s “OJ: Trial of the Century” (2014), and Fox’s “The O.J. Simpson Story” (1995). In an awkward but unforgettable interview, Sacha Baron Cohen—disguised as himself for his 2018 Showtime series “Who Is America?”—tried to coax a confession out of Simpson. Simpson received an early parole release in 2021 because to his exemplary behavior.
O.J. Simpson’s College Journey
O.J. Simpson started his college football journey at the City College of San Francisco before transferring to USC. In his first year with USC, he became known as one of the best runners in college football, leading the nation with 1,415 rushing yards and scoring 11 touchdowns. He was named an All-American and came second in the Heisman Trophy voting.
Simpson’s outstanding performance in 1967 was celebrated, even inspiring an oil painting called “O.J. Simpson Breaks for Daylight.” He helped USC win a national championship in the Rose Bowl. The following year, Simpson amazed everyone with an even better season, winning the Heisman Trophy with a record-breaking margin. Despite his remarkable efforts, USC lost to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl, denying them the national championship.
O.J. Simpson’s College Football Stats.
| Year | School | G | Rush Att | Rush Yds | Rush Avg | Rush TD | Rec | Rec Yds | Rec Avg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967 | USC | 10 | 266 | 1415 | 5.3 | 11 | 10 | 109 | 10.9 |
| 1968 | USC | 10 | 355 | 1709 | 4.8 | 22 | 18 | 126 | 7.0 |
| Career | USC | 20 | 621 | 3124 | 5.0 | 33 | 28 | 235 | 8.4 |
O.J. Simpson’s NFL Journey
The Bills picked O.J. Simpson as their first choice in the 1969 NFL Draft. Right away, he became their main running back. In his first season, he played 13 games and, although he didn’t have huge rushing numbers with 697 yards and two touchdowns, he still managed over 1,000 yards in total, including 343 receiving yards. He did so well that he got into the Pro Bowl and ranked fourth in the AFL Rookie of the Year vote.
Things got even better when Lou Saban became the head coach. In 1972, Simpson had a fantastic season, leading the league with 1,251 rushing yards. He was a Pro Bowler and finished third in the Most Valuable Player (MVP) vote and second in the Offensive Player of the Year vote.
The next year, 1973, was truly special. Simpson broke records, leading the NFL in rushing attempts, rushing touchdowns, and rushing yards. He became the first player ever to run for over 2,000 yards in a single season. He won both the NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year awards.
Although Simpson’s performance dipped a bit in the following two seasons due to injuries and changes in the team’s strategy, he bounced back strong in 1976, leading the league in rushing yards again. He even set a record for the most rushing yards in a single Thanksgiving game.
After playing only a few games in 1977 due to injuries, Simpson was traded to the San Francisco 49ers. Unfortunately, his time with them didn’t go as well as hoped. He retired after the 1979 season with impressive career stats, including the second-highest rushing yards in NFL history at the time.
O.J. Simpson’s NFL Football Stats.
| Year | Age | Tm | G | Rush Att | Rush Yds | Rush TDs | Rush Yds/Att | Rec | Rec Yds | Yds/Rec | Rec TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | 22 | BUF | 13 | 181 | 697 | 2 | 3.9 | 30 | 343 | 11.4 | 3 |
| 1970 | 23 | BUF | 8 | 120 | 488 | 5 | 4.1 | 10 | 139 | 13.9 | 0 |
| 1971 | 24 | BUF | 14 | 183 | 742 | 5 | 4.1 | 21 | 162 | 7.7 | 0 |
| 1972 | 25 | BUF | 14 | 292 | 1251 | 6 | 4.3 | 27 | 198 | 7.3 | 0 |
| 1973 | 26 | BUF | 14 | 332 | 2003 | 12 | 6.0 | 6 | 70 | 11.7 | 0 |
| 1974 | 27 | BUF | 14 | 270 | 1125 | 3 | 4.2 | 15 | 189 | 12.6 | 1 |
| 1975 | 28 | BUF | 14 | 329 | 1817 | 16 | 5.5 | 28 | 426 | 15.2 | 7 |
| 1976 | 29 | BUF | 14 | 290 | 1503 | 8 | 5.2 | 22 | 259 | 11.8 | 1 |
| 1977 | 30 | BUF | 7 | 126 | 557 | 0 | 4.4 | 16 | 138 | 8.6 | 0 |
| 1978 | 31 | SFO | 10 | 161 | 593 | 1 | 3.7 | 21 | 172 | 8.2 | 2 |
| 1979 | 32 | SFO | 13 | 120 | 460 | 3 | 3.8 | 7 | 46 | 6.6 | 0 |
| Career | Career | 135 | 2404 | 11236 | 61 | 4.7 | 203 | 2142 | 10.6 | 14 |