American · San Francisco · Born 9 July 1947 · Died 2024-04-10Buffalo Bills running back and 1973 NFL MVP who became the first player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season.
In 1973, O.J. Simpson became the first player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season, setting a yards-per-game record that still stands; what followed that achievement, both on and off the field, would eventually make the record a footnote in a story far more complicated than football.. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. Simpson's public life was transformed in June 1994, when his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, were found murdered outside her Los Angeles home. Simpson was tried and acquitted of the killings in one of the most closely watched criminal trials in American history, though a subsequent civil jury found him liable for both deaths in 1997, ordering him to pay $33.5 million in damages. In 2008, he was separately convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping in Las Vegas, serving nine years in prison before his release in 2017. Simpson died of cancer on 10 April 2024, at age 76, a legacy his sport's own hall of fame acknowledged had been permanently overshadowed by the events that followed his playing career.
Bills RB, first to rush for 2,000 yards in a season
How They Played
Explosive speed, exceptional vision, powerful runner with ability to break away for long gains
Lasting Impact
One of the greatest running backs in NFL history, revolutionized the position with his speed and agility
Career Honours
- Pro Football Hall of Fame 1985
- 1973 NFL MVP
- Heisman Trophy 1968
- 6x Pro Bowl
- 5x First-team All-Pro
| Team | Period | Games |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 1969–1977 | 118 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 1978–1979 | 22 |
American Athletes