O.J. Simpson, the former NFL running back whose accomplishments on the gridiron were marred by the infamous 1994 double-murder trial of his ex-wife and her friend, has died at age 76.
Simpson died on Wednesday following a battle with cancer, his family announced.
The family said he was surrounded by his children and grandchildren when he died.
A decorated athlete on the football field, Simpson played 11 seasons in the NFL, primarily with the Buffalo Bills, after being drafted in 1969.
It didn’t take long for the star running back, born Orenthal James Simspons, to establish himself as a powerhouse in the pros, winning league MVP honors in 1973.
Despite his individual play and accolades, the Bills never reached a Super Bowl and only made the postseason once during Simpsons’ time with the team.
The Bills traded their star running back to his hometown, San Francisco 49ers, before the start of the 1978 season.
Simpson played two seasons with the 49ers before retiring in December 1979.
TRIAL OF THE CENTURY
However, Simpsons’ accolades on the football field were tarnished after he was arrested for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, waiter Ron Goldman.
On June 12, 1994, Nicole and Goldman were found stabbed to death outside of her condo in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles.
(The Sun)
