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O.J. Simpson, the Buffalo Bills No. 1 overall pick in the 1969 AFL-NFL draft, died at age 76. His death was announced by his family on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Posted to Simpson’s account, “On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. 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.”
TMZ reported on Thursday, April 11 that USC alum’s “health took a turn for the worse,” and he landed in hospice care after battling prostate cancer for years. However, Simpson tried to appear upbeat in his final video tweet.
The former NFL MVP, who amassed over 871,000 followers on X, posted a message ahead of the 2024 Super Bowl. “I’m from the Bay and I’m going with Bay!!! Lets go @49ers,” he posted, cheering for his former team. After eight seasons in Buffalo, Simpson was traded to the San Francisco 49ers, where he played for two seasons.
“Hey X! Well, it’s me, yours truly. Boy, what a beautiful day it is here in Las Vegas,” Simpson said in the February 11 video. “Let me take a moment to say thank you to all the people who reached out to me. My health is good. I mean, obviously, I’m dealing with some issues, but, hey, I think I’m just about over it. And I’ll be back on that golf course, hopefully in a couple of weeks.”
Two days earlier, Simpson denied he was in hospice care. “No, I’m not in any hospice,” he said. “I don’t know who put that out there… Guess it’s like the Donald say, ‘Can’t trust the media!'”
O.J. Simpson Is a Bills Hall of Famer, Enshrined in Canton in 1985
Simpson’s achievements in the NFL were eclipsed by the brutal 1994 murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown and her friend, Ron Goldman. In the “Trial of the Century,” following his infamous slow-speed chase in a Ford Bronco, Simpson was accused of and ultimately acquitted of the murders.
While Simpson’s career with the Bills got off to a slow start, he turned into one of the most prolific players in franchise history. The two-time All-American out of USC and 1968 Heisman Trophy winner broke Jim Brown’s single-season rushing record in 1973 with 2,003 yards. He was the first player in NFL history to break the 2,000-yard mark.
The five-time First-Team All-Pro led the league in rushing in 1972, 1973, 1975, and 1976. Throughout his 11-year NFL career, he registered 2,404 rushes for 11,236 yards and 61 touchdowns. The six-time Pro Bowler also recorded 203 receptions for 2,142 yards and 14 scores. The “Juice” added another 990 yards in kick returns.
Not only is Simpson in the Bills Hall of Fame, the former NFL Offensive Player of the Year was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, his first year of eligibility.
Despite Serving 9 Years in Prison, O.J. Simpson Was Never Removed From the Pro Football Hall of Fame
While Simpson maintained his innocence regarding Brown and Goldman’s murders, he ultimately landed in prison in an unrelated case. Simpson served nine years of a sentence of “up to 33 years following his conviction on charges related to a 2007 armed robbery in Las Vegas in which he and others tried to steal at gunpoint of what Simpson said were pieces of his own sports memorabilia,” CNN reported.
Despite his legal troubles, Simpson was never removed from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. “Once elected, nothing in the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s bylaws allows for the removal of a Hall member,” the Hall of Fame said in a statement to Pro Football Talk.
Following Simpson’s death, the Pro Football Hall of Fame president Jim Porter shared a statement. “O.J. Simpson was the first player to reach a rushing mark many thought could not be attained in a 14-game season when he topped 2,000 yards,” Porter said. “His on-field contributions will be preserved in the Hall’s archives in Canton, Ohio.”
Simpson is survived by four of his children. per Yahoo. He shared two children, Sydney Brooke and Justin, with Nicole Brown. Before marrying Nicole Brown in 1985, Simpson had three children with his first wife, Marguerite Whitley, Arnelle, Jason, and Aaren, the latter who died after drowning the family’s pool just before her second birthday.
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