O.J. Simpson, the Heisman Trophy winner, Pro Football Hall of Famer and acquitted running back of second-degree murder, died Thursday after a battle with cancer, his family announced. did. He was 76 years old.
For a generation, Simpson has been synonymous with the sensational criminal trial in which he was acquitted in the death of Ronald Goldman, who visited his home with his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson.
Older generations also remember Simpson as one of the best football players of his time.
Simpson led the nation in rushing yards in both seasons at USC, finishing second in Heisman voting in 1967 and winning in 1968.
Simpson’s 64-yard touchdown run against UCLA against 1967 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Gary Bigan was the biggest play, and he was the biggest player in the game before the PAT in what is considered one of the greatest games of the 20th century. It tied the fourth quarter score and kept the Trojans in the standings. No. 1.
Simpson was the No. 1 pick in the 1969 NFL Draft and would eventually go on to occupy an equally dominant position in the NFL, but his career ended with what was then the largest contract in professional sports history (a five-year contract). , $650,000).
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He was named first-team All-Pro five times, was named MVP in 1973, and was later named to the NFL’s 1970s All-Decade Team, 75th Anniversary All-Time Team, and 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
Simpson still ranks just outside the top 20 in NFL history with 11,236 career rushing yards in nine seasons with the Bills and two with his hometown 49ers.
He led the league in rushing four times, including becoming the first member of the 2,000-yard club in 1973, a record that was later surpassed by Eric Dickerson in 1984.
To date, only eight running backs have reached 2,000 yards in a season, even though the schedule has expanded from 14 games when Simpson did it to 17 games now.
Simpson was inducted into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 1985.
After finishing his career, he worked as an anchor for ABC’s “Monday Night Football” and as a football analyst for NBC.
