O.J. Simpson, former NFL running back and Pro Football Hall of Famer, passed away this week following his "battle with cancer," his family announced Thursday.
Simpson, who was 76, was most remembered for his football career and roles as a movie star, TV pitchman and sports commentator before being acquitted in the double murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman in a made-for-TV trial that captivated the nation.
Simpson began his prolific football career in 1967 when he led all college running backs in rushing in his first season at the University of Southern California, before winning college football’s top honor – the Heisman Trophy – a year later.
He then went to the Buffalo Bills as the first pick in the 1969 draft before retiring a decade later with 11,236 rushing yards, second-most in NFL history at the time. In 1985, Simpson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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Simpson divorced his wife Nicole Brown Simpson in 1992, following seven years of marriage. Two years later, she and Goldman were found stabbed to death outside her Los Angeles home.
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 television moments of the decade, interrupting even the NBA Finals.
What became the "trial of the century" came to a close on Oct. 3, 1995, with the acquittal of Simpson for two counts of murder. Simpson pleaded not guilty.
During Simpson’s trial, a prosecutor asked him to put on a pair of gloves believed worn by the killer. The gloves appear too small, leading defense attorney Johnnie Cochran to famously state in his closing argument: "If it doesn’t fit, you must acquit."
An estimated 100 million people nationwide tuned in to watch or listen to the verdict announcement, according to reports.
In a civil trial that started in October 1996, Simpson was found to be responsible for the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Goldman. The Brown and Goldman families were eventually awarded $33.5 million in damages.
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In September 2007, Simpson, accompanied by five men, confronted two sports-memorabilia dealers in a Las Vegas hotel room, angrily telling them that most of the memorabilia they are planning to sell is rightfully his.
On Oct. 3, 2008, 15 years to the day after he was acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Goldman, Simpson was found guilty of 12 felonies, including kidnapping and armed robbery in relation to that incident.
He was later sentenced to 33 years in prison.
After serving for nine years, Simpson was paroled in 2017.
Simpson died on Wednesday, April 10, as he "succumbed to his battle with cancer," his family says.
"He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren," the Simpson family wrote in a post on X. "During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace."
Fox News’ Christine Rousselle and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
