NFL Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson passed away at the age of 76 after a battle with cancer, as his family has confirmed this earlier today.
On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer.
— O.J. Simpson (@TheRealOJ32) April 11, 2024
He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren.
During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace.
-The Simpson Family
"On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer," the family wrote on X Thursday. In the brief statement they added, "He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace."
O.J. Simpson was diagnosed with cancer last year, in which he revealed in a video on X where he said he was doing chemo to get it treated.
Nicknamed the "Juice," Simpson was undoubtedly one of the greatest running backs in NFL history; he was the first player to rush for 2000 yards in a 14-game season.
O.J. Simpson played ten years in the NFL after a prolific college career at the University of Southern California, where he rose to fame as one of the greatest college running backs ever.
He rushed for 3,423 yards on 674 attempts and 36 rushing touchdowns in a single season. In his first NCAA season, he finished second in Heisman Trophy voting.
The Buffalo Bills drafted him in 1969, this is where he found the most success in his career.
O.J. Simpson had an All-Pro season in 1972. He became the first player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season, finishing with 2003 yards. In 1975, he had another monster year in which he rushed for 2,243 yards from scrimmage.
He was selected to five straight All-Pro teams throughout his career. O.J. Simpson spent his final NFL career years with the San Francisco 49ers before retiring in 1979.
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O.J. Simpson Trouble Off the Field
While O.J. Simpson was fantastic on the field, he ran into some trouble with the law off the field during his career; which unfortunately made him a contradictory figure. A jury later found him not guilty in a trial that caught the attention of the entire country,
Simpson was found not guilty for the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, who were killed outside Nicole's Brentwood residence. O.J. Simpson was engaged in a low speed chase throughout Los Angeles in a white ford Bronco in effort to get away from the police. This chase was watched by 95 million people, as it unfolded during the NBA FInals.
O.J. Simpson would eventually find himself behind bars in an unrelated case, serving a nine-year sentence of up to 33 years on conviction charges related to a 2007 armed robbery in Las Vegas.
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