OJ Simpson, American Football Icon Dies At 76, NFL star acquitted in ‘trial of the century’

OJ Simpson, American Football Icon Dies At 76: According to ESPN, the football icon passed away on Wednesday. His family announced the news on X (formerly Twitter).

A statement was shared by the Simpson family on Simpson’s official Twitter account: “On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer.

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

During this time of transition, please respect the family’s wishes for privacy and grace.”

He was also acquitted of murder charges after being accused of killing his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman in Los Angeles during a high-profile televised car chase and trial.

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About his career

While playing football, he became one of the best running backs of all time, representing Buffalo Bills (1969-1977) and San Francisco 49ers (1978-1979).

The Heisman Trophy, awarded to the best college football player, was won by him in 1968 at the University of Southern California (USC). As a result of his outstanding performance at his university, he was highly sought after in the National Football League (NFL), with the Buffalo Bills drafting him first.

In 1973, OJ won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) and became the first player to rush 2,000 yards in a season. He made five First Team All-Pro Squads and six Pro Bowls. His average yardage in 14 games is still an NFL record of 141.3 yards per game.

As a commentator and actor, Simpson stayed relevant after retiring from football. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

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About Simpson lawsuit

In 1994, Simpson’s life took a turn for the worse when the bodies of his wife and friend were found outside her condo in LA’s Brentwood area. Simpson was a person of interest in the murders and charges were filed against him.

But instead of turning himself into the authorities, five days later, he led police on a car chase throughout Los Angeles, driven by former NFL player Al Cowlings. This chase turned out to be a media spectacle, with 95 million people watching it on their TV.

The coverage of the 1994 National Basketball Association (NBA) Finals was interrupted by this incident.

Simpson surrendered to the cops at his home in Brentwood that night. His trial started in January 1995, labelled as the ‘Trial of the Century’.

It featured lead prosecutor Marcia Clark taking on Simpson’s legal team led by Johnnie Cochran, who pleaded to the jury during the closing arguments, saying “If it does not fit, you must acquit”, referring to a glove matching one found at the murder scene.

On October 3, Simpson was acquitted and not found guilty of murders.

Simpson was found liable for 33.5 million dollars in 1997 in a civil lawsuit brought by the Goldman family.

Simpson auctioned his 1968 Heisman for USD 230,000, plus commission, to cover court costs.

In California, Simpson stayed out of the public eye. 13 years later, he was back in the spotlight, accused of shooting two sports memorabilia dealers.

Simpson was convicted of 12 counts of armed robbery and kidnapping, despite telling police he was reclaiming stolen memorabilia.

In 2021, he was released from parole after being denied an appeal and a new trial. He served his sentence in Lovelock Correctional Centre.

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