Former NFL running back and Pro Football Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson passed away this week after a “battle with cancer,” his family announced Thursday.
Simpson, 76, enjoyed a career in football and as a movie star, TV pitcher and sports commentator before being acquitted of the trumped-up murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. He was best known for his role in. – A TV trial that captivated the nation.
1967: Simpson becomes a USC football star before being inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.
Simpson led all college running backs in rushing during his first season at the University of Southern California in 1967, launching a prolific football career and winning college football’s highest honor, the Heisman Trophy, a year later. did.
Buffalo Bills running back O.J. Simpson leaves the New York Jets defense behind for a touch during the second quarter of the Bills’ 34-14 victory at Shea Stadium in New York City on Dec. 21. Decided to go down. 16, 1973. (AP/File)
He was selected by the Buffalo Bills as the No. 1 pick in the 1969 draft, and retired 10 years later with 11,236 rushing yards, second in NFL history at the time. In 1985, Simpson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
O.J. Simpson dies at 76, family says
1994: Simpson’s ex-wife is murdered, leading to the “trial of the century”
Simpson divorced his wife Nicole Brown Simpson in 1992 after seven years of marriage. Two years later, she and Goldman were found stabbed to death outside her home in Los Angeles.
O.J. Simpson and Nicole Brown Simpson pose at the March 1994 premiere of The Naked Gun, starring O.J. (Vinny Zufante/Getty Images)
On June 17, 1994, after being ordered by prosecutors to surrender, Simpson and his friend Al Cowlings instead led police on a 90-minute chase through Los Angeles in a white Ford Bronco. That car chase was one of the most watched TV moments of the decade and even interrupted the NBA Finals.
The “trial of the century” ended on October 3, 1995 with Simpson’s acquittal on two counts of murder. Simpson maintained his innocence.
During Simpson’s trial, prosecutors asked him to wear gloves believed to have been worn by the killer. The gloves appeared to be too small, and defense attorney Johnnie Cochran famously said in his closing argument, “If they don’t fit, you must acquit.”
O.J. Simpson holds up his hands in front of the jury after donning new gloves that resemble his infamous bloody gloves during his double murder trial in Los Angeles on June 21, 1995. (Pool photo, file via Vince Bucci/AP) (Vince Bucci/Pool/Associated Press)
An estimated 100 million people across the United States tuned in to see and hear the verdict announced, according to reports.
In a civil trial that began in October 1996, Simpson was found responsible for the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Goldman. Ultimately, the Brown and Goldman families were awarded $33.5 million in damages.
Prosecutors in O.J. Simpson murder case receive support from judge for judicial campaign
2008: Simpson is convicted of a felony and sentenced to prison.
In September 2007, Simpson, accompanied by five men, confronted two sports memorabilia dealers in a Las Vegas hotel room and angrily told them that most of the memorabilia they were trying to sell was rightfully his. Ta.
On October 3, 2008, 15 years after his acquittal for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Goldman, Simpson was convicted of 12 felonies, including kidnapping and armed robbery, in connection with that case.
He was later sentenced to 33 years in prison.
Simpson was released on parole in 2017 after serving nine years in prison.
O.J. Simpson is seen in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 12, 2023. (MEGA/GC image)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
2024: Simpson dies after battling cancer
Simpson “passed away after a battle with cancer,” his family announced.
“He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren,” the Simpson family wrote in a post on X. “His family asks that their wishes for privacy and grace be respected during this time of transition.”
Fox News’ Christine Rousselle and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
