OJ Simpson, known for his prowess on the football field with USC and the Buffalo Bills, and later for criminal and civil trials related to the deaths of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman, is died Wednesday after a cancer diagnosis. , Simpson’s family announced Thursday via social media. He was 76 years old.
On April 10, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer.
He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren.
During this time of transition, her family asks that you respect their wishes for privacy and grace.
-The Simpson family
– OJ Simpson (@TheRealOJ32) April 11, 2024
Simpson was arrested for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Goldman in June 1994. The sensational criminal trial fascinated America for eight months and ended with Simpson’s acquittal. In a 1997 civil trial, he was found responsible for the deaths, in a decision so widely anticipated that it was broadcast on split-screen just as President Bill Clinton began his State of the Union address. ‘Union.
When Simpson retired after the 1979 season, he ranked second behind Jim Brown on the NFL’s all-time list. Simpson, who played for the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers during his nine-year career, won the rushing crown four times and, in 1973, became the first to surpass 2,000 yards. The NFL only played 14 games then, so his 143.1 rushing yards per game still stands as the 10-yard record. Simpson’s best season might have been 1975, when he rushed for 1,817 yards but scored 23 combined touchdowns.
Simpson also won the Heisman Trophy in 1968 as a member of the USC Trojans.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Required reading
(Photo: Ross Lewis/Getty Images)