Orenthal James Simpson, better known to most as O.J. Simpson, died at the age of 76 on Wednesday (April 10).
“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 revealed on social media.
Simpson was one of the NFL’s all-time great running backs and still holds the records for the fastest player to gain 1,000 yards in season, the fastest player to gain 2,000 yards in a season, and for averaging the most rushing yards per game in a season.
Nicknamed “Juice,” Simpson was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 1969. He played most of his career for the Bills before being traded to the San Francisco 49ers in 1978. Simpson retired after the 1979 season. He was inducted into both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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After his NFL career, Simpson acted in some movies, perhaps most notably in “The Naked Gun” franchise starring Leslie Nielsen.
But all of that was overshadowed after he was charged with the murder of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, in 1994. The NFL superstar became infamous for running from police in a low speed chase on Southern California freeways in a white 1993 Ford Bronco.
Nearly 100 million people watched as media coverage interrupted the New York Knicks and Houston Rockets NBA Finals game to show the chase, which lasted for two hours. Simpson’s former NFL teammate A.J. Cowlings was driving the vehicle while Simpson sat in the backseat holding a gun to his own head. The chase ended at Simpson’s house, where he surrendered to police.
Almost a year after being charged with the murder of his wife and her friend, a jury found Simpson not guilty. As of today, no one else has been charged with those murders.
In 1997, a civil jury found Simpson liable for the two deaths and ordered him to pay $33.5 million in damages to the family members of Brown and Goldman.
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In 2007, Simpson was arrested for armed robbery and kidnapping after claiming he was trying to retrieve stolen memorabilia. He was sentenced to 33 years in prison after being found guilty on Oct. 3, 2008. Simpson served nine years before being released on parole in Oct. 1, 2017. He was later released from his parole in 2021.
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