O.J. Simpson was an NFL star of the 1970s’ Buffalo Bills who went on to an acting career before becoming embroiled in one of the most notorious trials of the 20th century, accused of murdering his ex-wife.
- Died: April 10, 2024 (Who else died on April 10?)
- Details of death: Died at his home in Las Vegas of prostate cancer at the age of 76.
O.J. Simpson’s legacy
In the past 30 years, Simpson has been known best for the infamous images of his televised 1994 murder trial: the low-speed police chase as he rode in his white Ford Bronco, the leather glove presented as evidence, the strong public reactions to his verdict of “not guilty.” That trial was for the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, on the night of June 12, 1994. America watched the trial compulsively, with opinions sharply divided on the question of his guilt. When the verdict was delivered on October 3, 1995, some celebrated his acquittal, while others believed justice had been miscarried.
Yet before 1994, Simpson’s public image was quite different. He was a beloved football player – one of the NFL’s all-time great running backs – and his movie career was as well-known to the average American as his TV commercials for Hertz rental cars.
Simpson was a college football standout at the University of Southern California, who helped lead the Trojans to the 1967 NCAA championship. He was the number-one pick in the 1969 NFL draft, chosen by the Buffalo Bills and signing an unprecedentedly large contract with the team.
That contract proved worth it: Simpson became one of the dominant football players of the 1970s. He broke a record to become the first player to rush more than 2,000 yards. He was the NFL’s MVP in 1973, led the AFC in rushing for four years and in both rushing and scoring in 1975, and he was a first team All-Pro for five consecutive years from 1972 through 1976. After his 1979 retirement from the NFL – he had played two seasons for the San Francisco 49ers first – he was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, his first year of eligibility.
Simpson had begun his acting career while still in the NFL, appearing in the smash hit TV miniseries “Roots” and in such movies as “The Klansman” and “The Towering Inferno.” He continued that career upon his retirement, most notably starring as Detective Nordberg in the three installments of “The Naked Gun” series in the 1980s and ‘90s. He also starred in a popular series of Hertz commercials, and he pitched other products, including Pioneer Chicken and Honey Baked Ham.
Simpson’s acting career came to an end in 1994 as his murder trial captivated America. He remained in the news on and off after his acquittal, including in coverage of the 1996 civil trial that found him liable for the wrongful deaths and battery of Brown Simpson and Goldman. He was subsequently ordered to pay more than $33 million in damages. He was back in the news upon the 2007 publication of the book “If I Did It,” in which Simpson and his ghostwriter, Pablo Fenjves, detailed how the murders might have happened. That same year, he was arrested for armed robbery after taking sports memorabilia that he claimed belonged to him. He was found guilty, and he served almost nine years in prison before being paroled in 2017.
Full obituary: Los Angeles Times
