O.J. Simpson Dead at 76
A posting by the family of Orenthal James (O.J.) Simpson on his X account has announced that the former NFL player has died at 76.
On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer.
He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren.
During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace.
-The Simpson Family
— O.J. Simpson (@TheRealOJ32) April 11, 2024
Although he was a great running back in the NFL during his heyday, he became infamous after being accused and arrested for killing his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ron Goldman in 1994. His televised slow chase evading police officers in a white Ford Bronco driven by A.J. Cowlings, his friend and former teammate, on a California highway became legendary.
In professing his innocence, his trial was dubbed the trial of the century when it took place. The NFL Hall of Famer was found innocent in what was the most anticipated verdict in court history setting up a racial divide when Blacks cheered the decision and white people called the system unfair.
But, before the trial, OJ, who was born on July 9, 1947, in San Francisco, was known for his athletic prowess on the football field from when he played his collegiate career at the legendary University of Southern California (USC). In his senior year, in 1968, according to Yahoo Sports!, he won the coveted Heisman Trophy awarded to the best college football player.
The Buffalo Bills made Simpson the first overall pick in the 1969 NFL draft. After becoming an All-Pro in 1972, he shocked the sports world when he became the first NFL player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season, finishing with 2,003 yards for the year. That feat helped him win that season’s NFL MVP Award.
Although he never won a Super Bowl, Simpson won many awards and became one of the most recognizable sports figures in the world. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.
He became an actor and had memorable roles starring in movies like “Roots,” “The Towering Inferno” and playing a recurring role in “The Naked Gun” trilogy. He also had a memorable commercial as a pitchman for Hertz that showed him running through the airport.
He was most recently a commentator on the popular sports show, “It Is What It Is,” hosted by rappers, Cam’ron and Ma$e.
O.J. Simpson Dead at 76
