Why is OJ Simpson in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
Simpson’s status as a winner is controversial among fans, voters (I am one) and the media. Even some Hall of Famers are convinced his bust shouldn’t be on display next to theirs.
Separating the footballer from the human being is a struggle for many.
But despite how we feel, there’s no reason Simpson — who died of cancer Wednesday at age 76 — shouldn’t be in the Hall of Fame.
Unlike the Baseball Hall of Fame, the Hall that honors Simpson does not have a so-called character clause. In 1991, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Board of Trustees codified its bylaws and addressed the issue with this directive: “The only criteria for election to the Hall of Fame are achievements and contributions (positive or negative) of an applicant as a player, Coach or contributor to professional football in the United States of America.
The intent of this clause was to prevent the induction of candidates based on good deeds off the field. But it works both ways.
The clause was brought up when Lawrence Taylor was discussed as a candidate in 1999. Taylor had failed several drug tests and was suspended by the NFL. After retiring but before being elected, Taylor was arrested for trying to buy cocaine and he pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return. He was elected to the Hall in his first year of eligibility.
According to the Hall of Famer, the murky task of judging character should be left to others.
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Simpson was elected to the Hall a decade before he was tried and acquitted for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, 12 years before Simpson lost a wrongful death trial to the victims’ families, and three decades before He was only found guilty of breaking into a hotel room and stealing souvenirs at gunpoint.
What makes Simpson’s case particularly troubling is that no candidate casts a longer, broader cultural shadow. He has the highest profile of any Hall of Famer. Given his previous incarnations as a rental car pitcher, football talking head and Nordberg from the “Naked Gun” films, his profile was among the highest in the Hall of Fame even before the “Trial of the Century.”
It could be argued that Simpson should be defrocked as a Hall of Famer, citing the Hall’s stated values of commitment, integrity, courage, respect and excellence. But no one has ever been excluded from the Hall of Fame. The situation might have been different if Simpson had been convicted of murder.
For a report in 2021, OJ Simpson was contacted by The Athletic’s @ByTimGraham how he thought his obituary would be presented.
“I hope it starts with football. I know they’re going to add more things.”
Read more about Simpson’s complicated legacy:
– The Athletic (@TheAthletic) April 11, 2024
In 1985, Simpson was elected to the Hall in his first year of eligibility. Deion Sanders once said that the Hall should have an “upper room” for the highest elite. If that were the case, Simpson would fit in there.
When he retired after the 1979 season, Simpson was the second-leading rusher all-time, behind Jim Brown. Playing at one time with Hall of Fame running backs Walter Payton, Franco Harris, Larry Csonka, Floyd Little and Earl Campbell, Simpson led the NFL in rushing yards four times and was voted into the inaugural five times. All-Pro team.
He was the first player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season and remains the only one to do so in a 14-game season. He is also the only player to rush for 200 yards six times in a game.
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However, Simpson’s memory as one of the greatest football players of all time has faded with time, overshadowed by memories of the man who lost his way. At a museum that celebrates excellence, visitors look at a bust and think of a horrific 911 call and a gruesome crime scene.
For years now, Simpson has been a silent Hall of Famer. He never attended an induction after the murders.
His presence, however, remains. And barring anything unforeseen, visitors to the Pro Football Hall of Fame will see Simpson’s bust on display in perpetuity, no matter how uncomfortable it may be.
(Photo: Kevin Reece/Getty Images)