Ex-Football Player O.J. Simpson Died
Former football player O.J. Simpson, the popular American soccer character who was involved in one of the most followed trials in history, has died.
Through a statement on social networks, the family of former football player O. J. Simpson confirmed his death after his battle with cancer and also noted that he left surrounded by his family, who also asked for respect and privacy at this time of mourning.
This morning, Thursday, April 11, it was confirmed that O.J. Simpson died.
Orenthal James better known as “O.J.” Simpson, the former NFL star and broadcaster whose sports achievements and fame were overshadowed by his acquittal in 1995 in the brutal murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman.
This case was known as the “trial of the century”; Simpson was 76 years old.
“On April 10, 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 his wishes for privacy and grace,” the family posted from Simpson’s X account.
Although Simpson was a highly successful soccer player, he won the Heisman Trophy in 1968 as a running back for the University of Southern California before playing for the NFL’s Buffalo Bills and, later, the San Francisco 49ers.
He also became perhaps one of the most controversial figures of the late 20th century after being accused of the murders of his ex-wife and her friend.
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Ex-Football Player O.J. Simpson Died: Controversial Life
In the O.J. Simpson trial, a jury found him not guilty, where America’s fascination with celebrity clashed with racial strife, as well as issues of class, policing and criminal justice.
Those issues — and the judge’s decision to allow the trial to be televised — came together in what many called the “Trial of the Century,” which kept the country on edge for nearly nine months before becoming a cultural touchstone.
In 1997, another jury unanimously found Simpson liable for the wrongful deaths of Brown Simpson and Goldman in a civil suit brought by Goldman’s family and ordered him to pay $33.5 million in damages.
Despite this, O.J. Simpson maintained his innocence.
But in 2016, polls showed that most Americans believed he was guilty.
O.J. Simpson eventually ended up in prison in an unrelated case, eventually serving 9 years of a sentence of up to 33 years after being found guilty on charges related to a 2007 armed robbery in Las Vegas.
By that time, he and others attempted to steal at gunpoint items that Simpson said were pieces of his own sports collection.
He was granted parole in 2017, pleading before the Nevada parole board.
“I’ve served my time. I’ve done it as well and as respectfully as I think anyone can,” she said.
More recently, Simpson had rekindled his fame on Twitter, where he frequently posted videos of his opinions on soccer and politics to his nearly 900,000 followers.
After spending a week in jail at age 15 for stealing from a liquor store, he began training hard and his speed allowed him to excel in college soccer, which eventually opened the door to the NFL.
O.J. Simpson came to the league in 1969 with the Buffalo Bills, where he did not stand out for the first few years until 1972, when he surpassed 1,000 yards.
A year later he became the first player in history to break the 2,000 barrier, with 12 touchdowns scored that season.
