O. J. Simpson

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(born July 9, 1947, San Francisco, Calif., U.S.) U.S. football player. At the University of Southern California as a running back (196568), he set rushing records, was named All-American, and won the Heisman Trophy (1968). He joined the Buffalo Bills in 1969, with whom he continued to set records, and he became a great box-office draw. Knee injuries led to his being traded in 1978 to the San Francisco 49ers; he retired after the 1979 season. Handsome and genial, he became a popular film and television actor. In 1994 he was charged with the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. The resulting trial and acquittal generated unprecedented media coverage and public debate. A separate civil trial in 1997 found Simpson guilty in a wrongful-death suit. He later collaborated on If I Did It, a hypothetical confession to the murders. Public outrage prevented its initial publication in 2006, but a bankruptcy court subsequently awarded the book's rights to the Goldman family, who released the work in 2007. Later that year, Simpson was arrested after he and several other men entered a Las Vegas hotel room and took memorabilia items that Simpson claimed had been stolen from him. In 2008 he was convicted of a number of crimes related to the incident, including armed robbery and kidnapping, and sentenced to a minimum of nine years in prison.

For more information on Orenthal James Simpson, visit Britannica.com.

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football player; sports commentator

Personal Information

Born Orenthal James Simpson, July 9, 1947, in San Francisco, California; one of four children of Jimmy Simpson (custodian and cook) and Eunice Simpson (hospital orderly); married Marguerite Thomas, 1967; divorced, 1979; children: Arnelle (son), Jason, Aaren (son; d. 1979); married Nicole Brown, 1982; divorced, 1992; children: Sydney (daughter), Justin.
Education: City College of San Francisco, 1965-1967; University of Southern California, B.S., sociology, 1969.

Career

Buffalo Bills, halfback, 1969-1977; San Francisco 49ers, halfback, 1977-1978; actor in several movies, including The Towering Inferno (1974), The Klansman (1974), Killer Force (1975), Cassandra Crossing (1976), Capricorn I (1977), Firepower (1978), Hambone and Hilly (1983), The Naked Gun (1989), The Naked Gun 2 1/2 (1991); ABC-TV Sports, 1969-1977; commentator, Monday Night Football, 1983-86; Rose Bowl commentator, 1979, 1980; Summer Olympics commentator, 1976; NBC- TV Sports, 1978-82; NFL Live, co-host, 1989-1994; starred in several TV commercials.

Life's Work

O. J. Simpson came out of the projects of San Francisco in the 1960s to establish a stellar college football record, first at San Francisco's City College and then at the University of Southern California (USC) where he won the Heisman Trophy in 1968. The following year the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL) selected him with the first draft pick. As a running back for the Bills from 1969 to 1977, Simpson had a glorious career, shattering all previous records for most yards gained in a season, most games in a season with 100 yards or more, and most rushing attempts in a season. He established a concurrent acting career beginning in 1974 with a role in the film, The Towering Inferno. His congenial celebrity also brought him work in television commercials--most visibly as a spokesperson for Hertz--and as a color commentator on Monday Night Football.

The way in which the public viewed Simpson changed dramatically in 1994 when he was arrested and tried in Los Angeles for the murders of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman. The jury acquitted him in 1995 after a highly-publicized year-long trial that became known as the "Trial of the Century." Following his acquittal in the criminal trial, the Brown and Goldman families filed a wrongful-death civil suit against Simpson. This time the jury found Simpson responsible for the deaths and awarded the victims' families $33.5 million in compensatory and punitive damages. Although Simpson's attorneys claimed that he had incurred more than $12 million in debt, the plaintiffs still believed he could make sufficient earnings to provide the reparations despite his new notoriety.

Born July 9, 1947, in San Francisco, Orenthal James Simpson was one of Jimmy and Eunice Simpson's four children. Needless to say, his childhood on Connecticut Street in the Potrero Hill section of San Francisco--one of the city's black ghettos--proved to be less than idyllic. Biographer Dick Belsky noted in The Juice: Football's Superstar, O. J. Simpson that as a baby Simpson suffered from a calcium deficiency. As a result, he had to wear leg braces for several years. Simpson's father, a bank custodian and cook, left Eunice to rear the four children on her own when Simpson was only five. On a lighter note, Simpson hated his name, Orenthal, which had been suggested to his mother by an aunt, so he took to calling himself "O. J." As a result his friends began calling him "Orange Juice," a practice that may have led to his pro football nickname "The Juice." In Belsky's book, Simpson maintained that the name resulted from his high energy level, from being "juiced up." Steven V. Roberts's U.S. News & World Report article supported that theory by stating that as a youth Simpson "joined gangs, stole hubcaps, picked fights, crashed dances, shot craps, snubbed school." According to Roberts, Simpson told biographer Bill Libby, "I had a lot of hatred and defiance in me. I could easily have come to a bad end if I hadn't gotten a break."

Roberts identified three significant factors that helped Simpson turn his life around. His mother's steady and determined presence provided a secure home base even though the pain of his father's abandonment lingered. She worked many long, hard hours as a hospital orderly to support the family. Willie Mays, the famous outfielder for the San Francisco Giants, gave the young Simpson a much needed shot of confidence in his teenage years. When Simpson was 15 and in jail following a gang fight, the supervisor of the local recreation center arranged for him to spend a day with the local sports legend. Roberts quoted Simpson as saying, "To have that hero pay attention to me, it made me feel that I must be special, too. He made me realize that we all have it in ourselves to be heroes." High school football occupied Simpson's time productively and the coaching staff at Galileo High worked hard at developing his remarkable athletic abilities while changing his bad attitude.

Simpson became a star football player at Galileo, winning All-City honors his senior year. Simpson's grades, however, failed to meet admission requirements for four-year schools, so he attended junior college in San Francisco. At City College he amassed one of the most outstanding records in the history of junior college football. In only two seasons Simpson scored 54 touchdowns and gained 2,445 yards rushing. Given this impressive performance, several major universities recruited him seriously. Simpson chose the University of Southern California, a school steeped in football tradition. He majored in sociology. In 1967 and 1968 he led the Trojans to two Rose Bowl berths, scored 35 touchdowns, and gained 3,295 yards rushing in 22 games. In his final season he set a college record for yardage gained, 1,709. Sportswriter Pete Axthelm commented in Newsweek that "O. J.... has done more than his share.... [H]e has led the Trojans, inspired them, and, when necessary, carried them."

Simpson had been a serious contender for college football's highest honor--the Heisman Trophy--in his first year at USC. In fact, he finished second in the voting to University of California-Los Angeles quarterback Gary Beban. In 1968, he won the trophy. Belsky wrote that Simpson "was generally acclaimed . . . [as] the finest and most explosive running back to come out of college football in a decade. Some thought he might be the most prized collegian in football history." Belsky also noted the irony that, "Under the rules of the draft, the NFL team that finishes the season with the worst record chooses first in the collegiate draft. O. J. Simpson would go to the worst team in pro football." The worst team turned out to be the Buffalo Bills, so Simpson headed for New York. Sport magazine named Simpson its Man of the Year in February of 1969, thereby marking the first time in the 22-year history of the award that it had gone to a college player.

In Buffalo Simpson soon cemented his reputation for elusive speed on the field. In 1973, a few short years into his professional career, he set several records that would remain on the books for decades. Early in the season he had set two records: one for 250 yards rushing in a single game, against the New England Patriots, and the other for carrying the ball 39 times against the Kansas City Chiefs. On December 16, in the last game of the regular season, the Bills played the New York Jets, and Simpson broke more records. In the first quarter, he surpassed the legendary Jim Brown's single-season rushing record of 1,863 yards, a record that had stood since 1962. Simpson finished the day and the season with 2,003 yards. Ron Fimrite wrote in a 1973 Sports Illustrated article that Simpson "finished the season with 332 attempts [also an NFL record], an average of nearly 24 a game. He had gained 200 yards for the second game in succession and for the third time in a season, both records, and he enabled the . . . Bills to become the game's first 3,000-yard rushing team, replacing . . . [the] Miami Dolphins as the NFL's all-time top rushers." Fimrite further observed, "What is perhaps most remarkable about Simpson's record spree is that it was made possible by two games played on fields of such Siberian frigidity that they were fit only for evading wolves."

Simpson played for Buffalo until 1977, had one uneventful season with the San Francisco 49ers, and then retired in 1979. Simpson had established a second career as an actor beginning in 1974. He did several commercials, most notably for Hertz. As Steven Roberts observed in 1994, "Today, almost 20 years later, the image of O. J. sprinting from an airplane to his Hertz rental car is still embedded in the popular culture." He appeared in several movies, including The Towering Inferno, Capricorn I, Firepower, and the Naked Gun series. Although Simpson had high hopes for his acting career, it stalled around the end of the 1970s.

To the sporting world, however, Simpson might be known best as a football and Olympics commentator for ABC-TV and NBC-TV from 1969 through the 1980s. He provided color commentary for ABC from 1969 to 1977 and for NBC from 1978 to 1982. In 1983 he rejoined ABC as a member of the highly-rated Monday Night Football production, but that position only lasted until 1986. After a short hiatus from working televised football games, Simpson became a co-host for NBC's NFL Live beginning in 1989.

Simpson's personal life also encountered some troubles. His wife, Marguerite Thomas, whom he had known in high school and married in 1967, divorced him in 1979. In their 12 years of marriage they produced three children: Arnelle, Jason, and Aaren. Shortly after the divorce, 23-month-old Aaren died in a tragic swimming pool accident. Simpson met his second wife, Nicole Brown, when she was 18. They eventually married in 1982 and had two children, Sydney and Justin. The marriage was a stormy one, with police often being called to their home to settle domestic altercations. In 1989 Simpson pled no contest to charges of spousal battery. The couple divorced in 1992. In June of 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson and a friend, Ronald Goldman, were brutally murdered in front of her home in Brentwood, California.

Suspicion immediately fell on Simpson. As police arrived to arrest him at the home of a friend, Simpson eluded them, leading authorities on a 60-mile, slow-speed chase with friend Al Cowlings behind the wheel. Alexander Cockburn described the scene in New Statesman & Society by saying, "A carnival atmosphere prevailed along the freeways as Simpson, Cowlings and their police cortege swept by. Signs proclaimed 'Go, Juice, Go' and onlookers outside the house proclaimed sympathy and love." Simpson eventually surrendered that evening. He and his lawyers endured a year-long courtroom media spectacle that dominated the news and provided endless fodder for talk shows and tabloids. The predominately African American jury acquitted Simpson of the murder charges in 1995. The verdict prompted many to speculate on whether the decision was racially motivated and sparked much disagreement along racial lines over the question of his guilt.

Following the criminal trial, the families of Brown and Goldman sued Simpson in civil court. This time a predominately white jury decided that Simpson was liable for their deaths, a finding that intensified the discussions about racial division. Writer Ellis Cose debunked several popular opinions generated by the outcomes of the two Simpson trials. He noted in Newsweek, "In reality, neither the trials nor the verdicts tore the races apart. The breaches the trials brought to light existed long before the murders in Brentwood." He added that, "It would be ridiculously naive to say that race was not a factor in either trial. It is equally simplistic, however, to see it as the only factor, and to conclude, on that basis, that some monumental racial chess game was at stake."

The civil trial jury determined in 1997 that Simpson had to pay $33.5 million in compensatory and punitive damages for the deaths of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman. Although lawyers for Simpson claimed that his "Dream Team" of defense attorneys in the criminal trial had drained his once-considerable assets, the plaintiffs did not agree. They argued that Simpson's name--despite its disrepute--could raise the money on ventures such as autographed trading cards, speeches, and possible book deals. Meanwhile, the civil court judge ordered Simpson to turn over several items of value, including his Heisman Trophy. When authorities arrived to seize the property, the Heisman could not be found. A 1997 article in the Riverside, California, Press- Enterprise noted that Simpson was "resigned to a future clouded by public disdain and financial ruin, but he is buoyed by loyal friends and the challenge of raising two children."

Awards

Junior College Football All American, 1965-66; National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) All American, 1967-68; world record 440 yard relay team, 1967; Heisman Trophy, 1968; United Press International and Associated Press College Athlete of the Year, 1968; Sport magazine's Man of the Year Award, 1969; voted College Player of the Decade, 1972; NFL Most Valuable Player, 1975; AFC Most Valuable Player, 1972, 1973, 1975; NFL Pro Bowl, 1972, 1974-1976; named NFL Player of the Decade, 1979; inducted to College Football Hall of Fame, 1983; third leading rusher in NFL history; inducted to Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1985.

Further Reading

Books

• Belsky, Dick, The Juice: Football's Superstar, O. J. Simpson, Henry Z. Walck, Inc., 1977.

• Jet, February 24, 1997.
• New Statesman & Society, July 1, 1994.
• Newsweek, January 13, 1969; February 17, 1997.
• Orange County Register (CA), March 28, 1997.
• People Weekly, July 4, 1994.
• Press-Enterprise (Riverside, CA), March 28, 1997; March 29, 1997; June 8, 1997.
• Sport, February 1969.
• Sports Illustrated, June 27, 1994 (reprint of 1973 article).
• U.S. News & World Report, June 27, 1994.

— Ellen Dennis French

In 1994 he was charged with the brutal murder of his ex-wife and her friend, but he was acquitted in 1995 after a media-saturated trial that highlighted racial tensions and divisions in American society. In 1997 a civil jury levied a huge wrongful-death award against him in a suit brought by the victims' families. Simpson was again the center of controversy in 2006 when it was revealed that a book by him, entitled If I Did It, which its publisher, Judith Regan, said she considered his confession, was to be published, and a television interview timed to coincide with the book's publication was to be aired. Public outcry led Rupert Murdoch, whose companies were to publish the book and broadcast the interview, to order the cancellation of both. In 2007 Simpson was charged with several felonies in connection with his participation in an armed robbery in a Las Vegas involving sports memorabilia that he contended had been stolen from him; he was convicted and sentenced to a minimum of nine years in prison in 2008.

The criminal and civil trials of Orenthal James ("O. J.") Simpson, a former football star, actor, and television personality, regarding the murders of his former wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ronald Goldman, a local restaurant waiter, were two of the most controversial and highly publicized proceedings in U.S. legal history. The lengthy criminal trial, which ended in Simpson's acquittal for the two murders in October 1995, was nationally televised. In the civil trial, in which the estates of the two murder victims sued Simpson for damages for the victims' wrongful deaths, a jury in February 1997 awarded the heirs of the victims a total of $33.5 million. In both proceedings, but especially in the criminal trial, the issue of race played a dominant role. Simpson, an African American, was portrayed by his attorneys as another victim of the racist beliefs and behavior of members of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD).

In the early hours of June 13, 1994, the bodies of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman were found lying in a pool of blood outside Nicole Simpson's Brentwood, California, condominium. Both victims had been brutally stabbed to death on the evening of June 12, but there were no eyewitnesses. After the slayings, Nicole Simpson's dog was found wandering around the upscale neighborhood with bloody paws.

Simpson voluntarily gave an interview to LAPD detectives the day after the murder. Five days after the murders, LAPD charged Simpson with the deaths, citing a trail of evidence they said linked the celebrity to the crime scene, including a bloody glove found outside the condominium that allegedly matched one found at Simpson's estate. On the day Simpson was to surrender to police, he and a friend, Al C. Cowlings, disappeared. Simpson left behind a note professing his love for Nicole, claiming his innocence, and implying that he would commit suicide. Police traced calls from Simpson's cellular phone, locating him in a vehicle traveling on a Los Angeles freeway. The ensuing slow-speed chase, which was nationally televised from helicopter cameras, ended back at Simpson's Brentwood home, where he was arrested.

Simpson's criminal trial began on January 25, 1995. He had assembled a team of lawyers that included Robert L. Shapiro, Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr., a leading Los Angeles defense attorney, F. Lee Bailey, a nationally known criminal defense attorney, Alan M. Dershowitz, a Harvard law professor, Gerald F. Uelman, the dean of Stanford University Law School, and Barry Scheck and Peter J. Neufeld, New York attorneys skilled in handling DNA evidence. The group of prosecutors from the Los Angeles county attorney's office was led by Marcia R. Clark and Christopher A. Darden. Presiding at the trial was Superior Court Judge Lance A. Ito.

In its opening statements the prosecution argued that Simpson's history of domestic violence against Nicole Brown Simpson showed a link to her murder. His pattern of abuse and his need to control his former wife culminated, according to Clark, in her murder, "the final and ultimate act of control." Goldman was murdered, continued Clark, because he got in the way, arriving at the Brentwood condominium to return a pair of misplaced eyeglasses at the same time that Simpson was attacking Nicole Brown Simpson.

The defense team, which Cochran dominated, asserted that the LAPD fabricated the physical evidence and that Simpson had been on his way to a golf outing in Chicago when the crimes were committed.

The prosecution presented the testimony of neighbors in the vicinity of the murder scene and of a limousine driver who arrived early at Simpson's home that night to establish that Simpson had time to commit the murders and return home shortly after the driver arrived. It also introduced the "bloody glove" found behind Simpson's guest house, a glove that matched one found at the crime scene. The prosecution called DNA experts to testify that blood found at the crime scene matched Simpson's blood and that blood from both of the victims was found in Simpson's vehicle and on socks found in his bedroom. In addition, a bloody shoe print found at the crime scene appeared to match an expensive brand of shoes that Simpson had owned, but which could not be found.

The defense team aggressively challenged almost every prosecution witness but leveled its harshest attacks on the credibility of the LAPD. Scheck attacked the way the blood and fiber evidence was collected and suggested that the police had used blood from a sample given by the defendant to concoct false evidence. Scheck and Neufeld also challenged the credibility of the prosecution's DNA experts, subjecting the jury to weeks of highly technical discussion of DNA analysis.

The defense also argued that the police had rushed to judgment that Simpson was the prime suspect. Cochran and Bailey cross-examined the police officers who had gone to Simpson's home early on the morning after the murders. These officers had not sought a search warrant but went into the residence based on the belief that Simpson himself might have been the target of the murderer. The defense challenged this justification and attempted to show that one of the officers, Mark Fuhrman, was a racist who planted the bloody glove that morning. Events in the trial confirmed that Fuhrman had lied under oath when he said he had not said the word "nigger" in the past ten years. As the prosecution case proceeded, the defense used every opportunity to demonstrate to the predominantly African American jury that the police had engaged in a conspiracy to frame Simpson.

The dramatic point of the trial was the prosecution's request that Simpson try on the bloody gloves. Simpson, wearing thin plastic gloves, strained to pull on the leather gloves and announced that they were too small and did not fit. This proved to be a damaging incident for the prosecution. In his closing argument, Cochran repeatedly stated, "If the gloves don't fit, you must acquit."

In October 1995, after 266 days of trial, the jury found Simpson not guilty of the murders. Cochran, in his closing argument, had implored the jury to acquit Simpson and send a message to the LAPD and white America that African Americans should not be the victims of a racist police and justice system. According to opinion polls, his argument sounded a strong chord in African Americans, because a majority of them believed that Simpson was innocent. Polls also showed that, in contrast, most whites believed that Simpson was guilty.

Despite the acquittal, Simpson had to defend himself in a civil lawsuit filed by the parents of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman. In contrast to the criminal trial, the civil case was not televised, thereby reducing the intensity of the press coverage. In addition, the plaintiffs had the opportunity to depose many witnesses before trial, including Simpson, who did not testify at the criminal trial.

The plaintiffs' lead attorney, Daniel M. Petrocelli, fiercely examined Simpson at the deposition and again at the trial, pointing out the inconsistencies in his various accounts. Petrocelli mocked Simpson's contention that he had never beaten Nicole Brown Simpson, despite police reports, photographs, and testimony of other witnesses. The most crucial piece of evidence became the bloody shoe print at the crime scene. At his deposition Simpson said he had never owned a pair of the "ugly-assed shoes" that had made the shoe print. Simpson repeated this claim at trial, but Petrocelli produced thirty-one photographs of Simpson at public events showing that he had indeed worn the exact model of shoes prior to the murders. Finally Petrocelli argued that Simpson committed the murders because he could not control his temper: when Nicole Brown Simpson rejected him for good in the spring of 1994, he erupted in the same uncontrollable rage that had caused him to lash out at her in the past, only this time he used a knife.

In February 1997 the jury awarded the plaintiffs $8.5 million in compensatory damages and $25 million in punitive damages. The jury awarded the punitive damages based on an expert's testimony that Simpson could earn $25 million over the rest of his life by trading on his notoriety with book deals, movie contracts, speaking tours, and memorabilia sales. The jury did not want Simpson to profit from the crimes. Superior Court Judge Hiroshi Fujisaki, who had conducted the trial, upheld the damages award. Simpson announced that he planned to appeal the case.

The plaintiffs obtained a court order permitting the seizure of many of Simpson's assets to pay the multimillion-dollar judgment. Simpson, who had regained custody of his two children that he had with Nicole Brown Simpson, claimed he was near financial insolvency. Nevertheless, the plaintiffs' attorneys returned to court numerous times in 1997 seeking disclosure of Simpson's assets, contending that he was attempting to hide them.

See: cameras in court; DNA evidence.

Quotes:

"NFL owners should quit worrying about silly things like players celebrating in the end zone. They should give them something to really celebrate. Get rid of the artificial surfaces."

"The fear of losing is what makes competitors so great. Show me a gracious loser and I'll show you a permanent loser."

"The day you take complete responsibility for yourself, the day you stop making any excuses, that's the day you start to the top."

Biography

O. J. Simpson Simpson photographed in 1990. No. 32 Running back Personal information Date of birth: (1947-07-09) July 9, 1947 (age 64) Place of birth: San Francisco, CA Career information College: Southern California NFL Draft: 1969 / Round: 1 / Pick: 1 Debuted in 1969 Last played in 1979 Career history Buffalo Bills (1969–1977) San Francisco 49ers (1978–1979) Career highlights and awards Rated #40 NFL Player of all-time by NFL.com as of 2009 season 6× Pro Bowl selection (1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976) 5× All-Pro selection (1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976) 4× NFL Rushing champion (1972, 1973, 1975, 1976) NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team NFL 1970s All-Decade Team 1968 Heisman Trophy 1968 Maxwell Award 1968 UPI Player of the Year 1967 Walter Camp Award 1967 UPI Player of the Year 1973 NFL MVP 1973 NFL Offensive Player of the Year 1973 Bert Bell Award 1973 Pro Bowl MVP 1973 Hickok Belt win[1] 3× UPI AFL-AFC Player of the Year (1972, 1973, 1975) 1973 AP Man Athlete of the Year Career NFL statistics Rushing yards 11,236 Average 4.7 Rushing TDs 61 Stats at NFL.com Pro Football Hall of Fame College Football Hall of Fame

Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson (born July 9, 1947), nicknamed "The Juice", is a retired American college and professional football player, football broadcaster and actor. Simpson was a running back, the American Football League's Buffalo Bills' first overall pick in the 1969 Common Draft, and the first professional football player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season, a mark he set in 1973. While five other players have passed the 2,000 rush yard mark he stands alone as the only player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a fourteen-game season (professional football changed to a sixteen-game season in 1978). He holds the record for the single season yards-per-game average, which stands at 143.1 ypg. Simpson was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. He also had a successful career in acting and sports commentary.

In 1995, Simpson was acquitted of the murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman after a lengthy, internationally publicized criminal trial – the People v. Simpson. In 1997 a civil court awarded a judgment against Simpson for their wrongful deaths; to date he has paid little of the $33.5 million penalty.^[2] His book, If I Did It (2006), which purports to be a first-person fictional account of the murders had he actually committed them, was withdrawn by the publisher just before its release. The book was later released by the Goldman family.^[3] In September 2007, Simpson was arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada, and charged with numerous felonies, including armed robbery and kidnapping.^[4] In 2008, he was found guilty^[5][6] and sentenced to thirty-three years' imprisonment, with a minimum of nine years without parole.^[7] He is serving his sentence at the Lovelock Correctional Center in Lovelock, Nevada.^[8]

Contents 1 Early life 2 College football career 3 Professional football career 3.1 Buffalo Bills 3.2 San Francisco 49ers 3.3 Summary 4 Acting career 5 Family life 6 Legal history 6.1 Criminal trial for murder 6.1.1 Wrongful death civil trial 6.1.2 Alleged confession 6.2 Miscellaneous legal troubles 6.3 Las Vegas robbery 7 Filmography 8 See also 9 References 10 External links

Early life

Simpson was born in San Francisco, the son of Eunice (née Durden; October 23, 1921 – San Francisco, California, November 9, 2001), a hospital administrator, and Jimmy Lee Simpson (Arkansas, January 29, 1920 – San Francisco, California, June 9, 1986), a chef and bank custodian.^[9] Simpson's maternal grandparents were from Louisiana.^[10] His aunt gave him the name Orenthal, which supposedly was the name of a French actor she liked.^[11] Simpson has one brother, Melvin Leon "Truman" Simpson, and one living sister, Shirley Simpson-Baker, and one deceased sister, Carmelita Simpson-Durio. As a child, Simpson developed rickets and wore braces on his legs until the age of five.^[12] His parents separated in 1952.^{[citation needed]}

At Galileo High School in San Francisco, Simpson played for the school football team, the Galileo Lions. From 1965 to 1966, Simpson was a student at City College of San Francisco, a member of the California Community College system. He played both offense (running back) and defense (defensive back) and was named to the Junior College All-American team as a running back.

College football career

Simpson gained an athletic scholarship to the University of Southern California where he played running back in 1967 and 1968. Simpson led the nation in rushing in 1967 when he ran for 1,451 yards and scored 11 touchdowns. He also led the nation in rushing the next year with 355 carries for 1,709 yards.

In 1967, he starred in the 1967 USC vs. UCLA football game and was a Heisman Trophy candidate as a junior, but he did not win the award. His 64-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter tied the game, with the extra point after touchdown providing the win. This was the biggest play in what is regarded as one of the greatest football games of the 20th century.^[13]

Another dramatic touchdown in the same game is the subject of the Arnold Friberg oil painting, O.J. Simpson Breaks for Daylight. Simpson also won the Walter Camp Award in 1967 and was a two-time consensus All-American.^[14] He ran in the USC sprint relay quartet that broke the world record in the 4x110 yard relay at the NCAA track championships in Provo, Utah in June 1967. (While this time has not been beaten, the IAAF now refers to it as a world's best, not a world record. The scarcity of events over distances measured in imperial units resulted in the designation change in 1976.)^[15]

In 1968, he rushed for 1,709 yards and 22 touchdowns, earning the Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Award, and the Walter Camp Award that year. He still holds the record for the Heisman's largest margin of victory, defeating the runner-up by 1,750 points. In the 1969 Rose Bowl where No. 2 USC faced No. 1 Ohio State, Simpson ran for 171 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown run in a 16–27 loss.^[16]

Professional football career

Buffalo Bills

Simpson was drafted by the AFL's Buffalo Bills, who got first pick in the 1969 AFL-NFL Common Draft after finishing 1–12–1 in 1968. Early in his professional football career, Simpson struggled on poor Buffalo teams, averaging only 622 yards per season for his first three.

He first rushed for more than 1,000 yards in 1972, gaining a total of 1,251. In 1973, Simpson rushed for a record 2,003 yards, becoming the first player ever to pass the 2,000-yard mark, and scored 12 touchdowns. Simpson gained more than 1,000 rushing yards for each of his next three seasons. From 1972 to 1976, Simpson averaged 1,540 rushing yards per (14 game) season, 5.1 yards per carry, and he won the NFL rushing title four times. Simpson had the best game of his career during the Thanksgiving game against the Detroit Lions on November 25, 1976, when he rushed for a then record 273 yards on 29 attempts and scoring two touchdowns.

Simpson's 1977 season in Buffalo was cut short by injury.

San Francisco 49ers

Before the 1978 season, the Bills traded Simpson to the San Francisco 49ers for a series of draft picks.^[17] He played two seasons.

Summary

Simpson gained 11,236 rushing yards, placing him 2nd on the NFL's all-time rushing list; he now stands at 17th. He was named NFL Player of the Year in 1973, and played in six Pro Bowls. He was the only player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a 14 game season and he's the only player to rush for over 200 yards in six different games in his career. Simpson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, his first year of eligibility.

Simpson acquired the nickname "Juice" as a play on "O. J.", an informal abbreviation for "Orange Juice". "Juice" is also a colloquial synonym for electricity or electrical power, and hence a metaphor for any powerful entity; the Bills' offensive line at Simpson's peak was nicknamed "The Electric Company."

Acting career

Simpson in 1990 in Saudi Arabia while visiting American troops during the lead-up to the first Gulf War

Even before his retirement from football and in the NFL, Simpson embarked on a successful film career with parts in films such as the television mini-series Roots, and the dramatic motion pictures The Cassandra Crossing, Capricorn One, The Klansman, The Towering Inferno, and the comedic Back to the Beach and The Naked Gun trilogy. In 1979, he started his own film production company, Orenthal Productions, which dealt mostly in made-for-TV fare such as the family-oriented Goldie and the Boxer films with Melissa Michaelsen and Cocaine and Blue Eyes, the pilot for a proposed detective series on NBC. NBC was considering whether to air Frogmen, another series starring Simpson, when his arrest canceled the project.^[18]

Simpson's amiable persona and natural charisma landed him numerous endorsement deals. He was a spokesman for the Hertz rental car company. He would be depicted running through airports, as if to suggest he was back on the football field. Simpson was also a longtime spokesman for Pioneer Chicken and owned two franchises, one of which was destroyed during the 1992 Los Angeles riots; as well as HoneyBaked Ham, the pX Corporation, and Calistoga Water Company's line of Napa Naturals soft drinks. He also appeared in comic book ads for Dingo cowboy boots.

Besides his acting career, Simpson worked as a commentator for Monday Night Football and The NFL on NBC.^[19] He also appeared in the audience of Saturday Night Live during its second season and hosted an episode during its third season.^[20][21]

Family life

Simpson with daughter, Sydney Brooke, 1986

On June 24, 1967, Simpson married Marguerite L. Whitley. Together they had three children: Arnelle L. Simpson (born December 4, 1968), Jason L. Simpson (born April 21, 1970) and Aaren Lashone Simpson (born September 24, 1977). In August 1979, Aaren drowned in the family's swimming pool a month before her second birthday.^[22] Simpson and Whitley were also divorced that same year.^[23]

On February 2, 1985, Simpson married Nicole Brown. They had two children, Sydney Brooke Simpson (born October 17, 1985) and Justin Ryan Simpson (born August 6, 1988), and were divorced in 1992.

Nicole Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman were murdered on June 12, 1994. Simpson was charged with their deaths and subsequently acquitted of all criminal charges in a controversial criminal trial. In the unanimous jury findings of a civil court case in February 1997, Simpson was found liable for the wrongful death of Ronald Goldman and battery of Nicole Brown.

Legal history

Criminal trial for murder

Main article: O. J. Simpson murder case

In 1989, Simpson pleaded no contest to a domestic violence charge and was separated from Nicole Brown, to whom he was paying child support. On June 12, 1994 Brown and her friend Ronald Goldman were found dead outside Brown's condominium. Simpson was charged with their murders. On June 17, after failing to turn himself in, he became the object of a low-speed pursuit in a white Ford Bronco SUV that interrupted coverage of the 1994 NBA Finals. The pursuit, arrest, and trial were among the most widely publicized events in American history. The trial, often characterized as "the trial of the century," culminated on October 3, 1995 in a jury verdict of not guilty for the two murders. The verdict was seen live on TV by more than half of the U.S. population, making it one of the most watched events in American TV history. Immediate reaction to the verdict was notable for its division along racial lines: polls showed that most African-Americans felt that justice had been served by the "not guilty" verdict, while most white Americans did not.^[24] O. J. Simpson's defense counsel included Johnnie Cochran, Robert Kardashian, and F. Lee Bailey.

Wrongful death civil trial

On February 5, 1997 a civil jury in Santa Monica, California unanimously found Simpson liable for the wrongful death of and battery against Goldman, and battery against Brown. Daniel Petrocelli represented plaintiff Fred Goldman, Ronald Goldman's father. Simpson was ordered to pay $33,500,000 in damages. However, California law protects pensions from being used to satisfy judgments, so Simpson was able to continue much of his lifestyle based on his NFL pension. In February 1999, an auction of Simpson's Heisman Trophy and other belongings netted almost $500,000. The money went to the Goldman family.

A 2000 Rolling Stone article reported that Simpson still made a significant income by signing autographs. He subsequently moved from California to Miami. In Florida, a person's residence cannot be seized to collect a debt under most circumstances. The Goldman family also tried to collect Simpson's NFL pension of $28,000 a year^[25] but failed to collect any money.^[26]

On September 5, 2006, Goldman's father took Simpson back to court to obtain control over his "right to publicity" for purposes of satisfying the judgment in the civil court case.^[2] On January 4, 2007, a Federal judge issued a restraining order prohibiting Simpson from spending any advance he may have received on a canceled book deal and TV interview about the 1994 murders. The matter was dismissed before trial for lack of jurisdiction.^[2] On January 19, 2007, a California state judge issued an additional restraining order, ordering Simpson to restrict his spending to "ordinary and necessary living expenses".^[2]

On March 13, 2007, a judge prevented Simpson from receiving any further compensation from the defunct book deal and TV interview. He ordered the bundled book rights to be auctioned.^[27] In August 2007, a Florida bankruptcy court awarded the rights to the book to the Goldman family to partially satisfy an unpaid civil judgment. The book was renamed If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer, with the word "If" reduced in size to make it appear that the title was "I Did It: Confessions of the Killer", and comments were added to the original manuscript by the Goldman family, author Pablo Fenjves, and prominent investigative journalist Dominick Dunne. The Goldman family was listed as the author.^[3]

Alleged confession

Mike Gilbert, a memorabilia dealer and former agent and friend of Simpson, wrote a book titled How I Helped O.J. Get Away with Murder: The Shocking Inside Story of Violence, Loyalty, Regret and Remorse.^[28] He states that Simpson had smoked marijuana, took a sleeping pill and was drinking beer when he allegedly confided at his Brentwood home weeks after his trial what happened the night of June 12, 1994. According to Gilbert, Simpson said, "If she hadn't opened that door with a knife in her hand...she'd still be alive."^[29] Gilbert claimed Simpson had confessed. However, Simpson's current lawyer, Yale Galanter, said none of Gilbert's claims are true and that Gilbert is "a delusional drug addict who needs money. He has fallen on very hard times. He is in trouble with the Internal Revenue Service."^[29]

Miscellaneous legal troubles

The State of California claims Simpson owes $1.44 million in past due taxes.^[30] A tax lien was filed in his case on September 1, 1999.^[31]

In February 2001, Simpson was arrested in Miami-Dade County, Florida for simple battery and burglary of an occupied conveyance for allegedly yanking the glasses off another motorist during a traffic dispute three months earlier. If convicted, Simpson faced up to sixteen years in prison. He was put on trial and quickly acquitted on both charges in October 2001.^[32]

Simpson's Miami home was searched by the FBI on December 4, 2001 on suspicion of ecstasy possession and money laundering. The FBI had received a tip that O.J. Simpson was involved in a major drug trafficking ring after 10 other suspects were arrested in the case. Simpson's home was thoroughly searched for two hours, but no illegal drugs were discovered, and no arrest or formal charges were filed following the search. However, investigators uncovered equipment capable of stealing satellite television programming which eventually led to Simpson being sued in federal court.^[33]

On July 4, 2002, O.J. Simpson was arrested in Miami-Dade County, Florida for speeding through a Manatee Protection Zone and failing to comply with proper boating regulations. His attorney, Yale Galanter, was able to get the misdemeanor boating regulation charge dropped and Simpson only had to pay a fine for the speeding infraction.^[34]

In March 2004, satellite television network DirecTV, Inc. accused Simpson in a Miami federal court of using illegal electronic devices to pirate its broadcast signals. The company later won a $25,000 judgment, and Simpson was ordered to pay $33,678 in attorney's fees and costs.^[35]

Las Vegas robbery

Main article: O. J. Simpson robbery case

Orenthal James Simpson
Motive	Personal gain
Charge(s)	Robbery, kidnapping, coercion, conspiracy
Conviction(s)	October 3, 2008
Penalty	Up to 33 years in state prison, eligible for parole after nine years
Status	Incarcerated at Lovelock Correctional Center, Nevada

Wikinews has related news: O. J. Simpson sentenced to 15 years in prison OJ Simpson found guilty in kidnapping, armed robbery case

In September 2007, a group of men led by Simpson entered a room at the Palace Station hotel-casino and took sports memorabilia at gunpoint, which resulted in Simpson being questioned by police.^[36][37] Simpson admitted to taking the items, which he said had been stolen from him, but denied breaking into the hotel room; he also denied that he or anyone else carried a gun.^[38][39] He was released after questioning.

Two days later, however, Simpson was arrested^[4] and initially held without bail.^[40] Along with three other men, Simpson was charged with multiple felony counts, including criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, assault, robbery, and using a deadly weapon.^[41][42] Bail was set at $125,000, with stipulations that Simpson have no contact with the co-defendants and that he surrender his passport. Simpson did not enter a plea.^[43][44]

By the end of October 2007, all three of Simpson's co-defendants had plea-bargained with the prosecution in the Clark County, Nevada court case. Walter Alexander and Charles H. Cashmore accepted plea agreements in exchange for reduced charges and their testimony against Simpson and three other co-defendants, including testimony that guns were used in the robbery.^[45] Co-defendant Michael McClinton told a Las Vegas judge that he too would plead guilty to reduced charges and testify against Simpson that guns were used in the robbery. After the hearings, the judge ordered that Simpson be tried for the heist.

Simpson's preliminary hearing, to decide whether he would be tried for the charges, occurred on November 8, 2007. He was held over for trial on all 12 counts. Simpson pleaded not guilty on November 29. Court officers and attorneys announced on May 22, 2008, that long questionnaires with at least 115 queries would be given to a jury pool of 400 or more.^[46] Trial was reset from April to September 8, 2008.^[46]

In January 2008, Simpson was taken into custody in Florida and flown to Las Vegas where he was incarcerated at the county jail for allegedly violating the terms of his bail by attempting to contact Clarence "C.J." Stewart, a co-defendant in the trial. District Attorney David Roger of Clark County provided District Court Judge Jackie Glass with evidence that Simpson had violated his bail terms. A hearing took place on January 16, 2008. Glass raised Simpson's bail to US$250,000 and ordered that he remain in county jail until 15 percent was paid, in cash.^[47] Simpson posted bond that evening and returned to Miami the next day.^[48]

Simpson and his co-defendant were found guilty of all charges on October 3, 2008.^[5] On October 10, 2008, O. J. Simpson's counsels moved for new trial (trial de novo) on grounds of judicial errors (two African-American jurors were dismissed) and insufficient evidence.^[49] Galanter announced he would appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court if Judge Glass denied the motion.^[49] The attorney for Simpson's co-defendant, C.J. Stewart, petitioned for a new trial, alleging Stewart should have been tried separately, and cited perceived misconduct by the jury foreman, Paul Connelly.^[49][50][51]

Simpson faced a possible life sentence with parole on the kidnapping charge, and mandatory prison time for armed robbery.^[52] On December 5, 2008, Simpson was sentenced to a total of thirty-three years in prison^[53] with the possibility of parole after about nine years, in 2017.^[7] On September 4, 2009, the Nevada Supreme Court denied a request for bail during Simpson's appeal. In October 2010, the Nevada Supreme Court affirmed his convictions.^[54] He is now serving his sentence at the Lovelock Correctional Center.^[55]

Filmography

Year	Film	Role	Notes
1968	Ironside	Onlooker – uncredited	TV Episode – "Price Tag Death"
	Dragnet 1968	Student - uncredited	TV Episode - "Community Relations DR:10"
1969	Medical Center	Bru Wiley	TV Episode "The Last 10 Yards"
1971	Why?	The Athlete	short film
1972	Cade's County	Jeff Hughes	TV Episode "Blackout"
1973	Here's Lucy	Himself	(TV series) episode "The Big Game"
1974	The Klansman	Garth
	O. J. Simpson: Juice on the Loose	Himself	TV documentary
	The Towering Inferno	Jernigan
1976	The Cassandra Crossing	Haley
	Killer Force	Alexander
1977	A Killing Affair	Woodrow York	TV
	Roots	Kadi Touray
1978	Capricorn One	Cmdr. John Walker
1979	Firepower	Catlett
	Goldie and the Boxer	Joe Gallagher	TV (executive producer)
1980	Detour to Terror	Lee Hayes	TV (executive producer)
1981	Goldie and the Boxer Go to Hollywood	Joe Gallagher	TV (executive producer)
1983	Cocaine and Blue Eyes	Michael Brennen	TV (executive producer)
1984	Hambone and Hillie	Tucker
1985–1991	1st & Ten	T.D. Parker	Five episodes
1987	Back to the Beach	Man at Airport	Uncredited
	Student Exchange	Soccer Coach	TV
1988	The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!	Detective Nordberg
1989	In the Heat of the Night	Councilman Lawson Stiles	TV episode "Walkout"
1991	The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear	Detective Nordberg
1993	CIA Code Name: Alexa	Nick Murphy
	No Place to Hide	Allie Wheeler
1994	Naked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult	Detective Nordberg
	Frogmen	John 'Bullfrog' Burke	unaired TV movie
2006	Juiced with O. J. Simpson	Himself	TV pay-per-view

See also

• List of American Football League players
• Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame

References

1. ^ [1]
2. ^ ^{a b c d} "O.J. Simpson ordered to stop spending." CNN. May 3, 2007.
3. ^ ^{a b} The Goldman Family (2007). If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer. Beaufort Books. ISBN 978-0-8253-0588-7. Archived from the original on May 11, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080511155407/http://www.beaufortbooks.com/books.php?id=53. Retrieved July 1, 2010. 
4. ^ ^{a b} "O.J. Simpson's Las Vegas Police Arrest Report". FindLaw. September 16, 2007. http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/oj/nvoj91607arrstrpt.html. Retrieved September 18, 2007. 
5. ^ ^{a b} "Simpson guilty of robbery, kidnap charges". MSNBC. October 3, 2008. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27010657/. Retrieved October 3, 2008. 
6. ^ 'O.J. Simpson guilty in armed robbery, kidnapping trial." CNN. October 4, 2008.
7. ^ ^{a b} Friess, Steve (December 5, 2008). "Simpson Sentenced to at Least 9 Years in Prison". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/06/us/06simpson.html. Retrieved December 5, 2008. 
8. ^ O.J. transferred to Lovelock, Las Vegas Sun, December 19, 2008
9. ^ "O. J. Simpson Biography (1947–)." Film Reference.com.
10. ^ "Ancestry of O.J. Simpson.", wargs.com.
11. ^ Schwartz, Larry. "Before trial, Simpson charmed America.". ESPN.com. 2000.
12. ^ "A timeline of O.J. Simpson's life." CNN.
13. ^ Peters, Nick. (1988) "College Football's Twenty-Five Greatest Teams." The Sporting News. Number 9 Southern California Trojans 1967. ISBN 0-89204-281-8.
14. ^ University of Southern California Football Media Guide." PDF. Page 125 of the 2006 Edition. USC's ALL-AMERICANS. (Consensus All-American in 1967, Unanimous All-American in 1968).
15. ^ "Athletics: World Record progression: Men: 4 × 100 m Relay" (PDF). International Olympic Committee. January 18, 2002. Archived from the original on June 9, 2003. http://web.archive.org/web/20030609203647/multimedia.olympic.org/pdf/en_report_78.pdf. Retrieved September 11, 2007. 
16. ^ Jenkins, Dan. "Defense And Rex Make A King." Sports Illustrated. January 13, 1969.
17. ^ "O.J. Simpson: Career Capsule". Pro Football Hall of Fame. http://www.profootballhof.com/hof/member.aspx?PlayerId=195&tab=Capsule. Retrieved November 28, 2011. 
18. ^ Lowry, Brian (May 8, 2000). "The Saga of O.J.'s Last, Lost Pilot". Los Angeles Times. http://articles.latimes.com/print/2000/may/08/entertainment/ca-27673. Retrieved April 5, 2011. 
19. ^ "History of ABC's Monday Night Football". ESPN. January 15, 2003. http://espn.go.com/abcsports/mnf/s/2003/0115/1493105.html. Retrieved March 15, 2008. 
20. ^ "Ruth Gordon/Chuck Berry". Saturday Night Live. episode 12. season 2. 1977-01-22. NBC. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Night_Live_(season_2). 
21. ^ "OJ Simpson/Ashford & Simpson". Saturday Night Live. episode 12. season 3. 1978-02-25. NBC. http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/episodes/Show_84.shtml. 
22. ^ Associated Press (June 19, 2010). "Simpson's Youngest Daughter Dies After 8 Days In Coma". St. Petersburg Times. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=alYnAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bnwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6787,3455914&dq=aaren+simpson&hl=en. Retrieved June 19, 2010. 
23. ^ Larry Schwartz. "L.A. Story". ESPN. http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00016477.html. Retrieved March 24, 2011. 
24. ^ Decker, Cathleen. "Los Angeles Times Poll." Los Angeles Times. October 8, 1995.
25. ^ "SI.com – No easy answers – Sep 18, 2007". CNN. September 18, 2007. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/michael_mccann/09/18/hearings/. 
26. ^ "Judge Rules Simpson's Mother Can Keep Piano". September 30, 1997. Archived from the original on February 13, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080213051600/http://www.courttv.com/casefiles/simpson/ojsimpson.html. 
27. ^ "Judge Keeps O.J. From Book, TV Proceeds." Newsmax. March 14, 2007.
28. ^ Gilbert, Mike (2008). How I Helped O.J. Get Away with Murder: The Shocking Inside Story of Violence, Loyalty, Regret and Remorse. Regnery Publishing. pp. 320. ISBN 1-59698-551-8. http://books.google.com/books?id=7CDHbDDb0TUC&printsec=frontcover&dq=How+I+Helped+O.J.+Get+Away+with+Murder&hl=en#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved April 28, 2011. 
29. ^ ^{a b} AP (May 10, 2008). "Former manager says O.J. Simpson confessed". CNN. Archived from the original on July 11, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080711224053/http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/books/05/10/oj.simpson.ap/index.html. Retrieved October 4, 2008. 
30. ^ "O.J. Simpson among those on California tax shame list". Reuters. October 17, 2007. http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN1733575520071018. Retrieved October 4, 2008. 
31. ^ "O.J. Simpson Makes California Tax Delinquent List". WebCPA. October 19, 2007. http://www.webcpa.com/article.cfm?articleid=25735&pg=newsarticles. 
32. ^ Wilson, Catherine (October 25, 2001). "Jury clears O.J. Simpson of road-rage charges". The Independent. Associated Press (London). http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/jury-clears-oj-simpson-of-roadrage-charges-632646.html. Retrieved November 25, 2009. 
33. ^ "O.J. Simpson's Home Searched By FBI". CBS News. December 4, 2001. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2000/06/06/national/main202915.shtml. 
34. ^ "O.j. Fights Boating Citation". September 26, 2002. http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/keyword/manatee-zone. 
35. ^ "O.J. Simpson loses DirecTV piracy case: Ordered to pay $25,000 for using illegal devices to get satellite TV signals". Associated Press. MSNBC. July 26, 2005. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8719276/. Retrieved October 4, 2008. 
36. ^ "Las Vegas P.D. summary and excerpts of 9/14/07 interview with Simpson". FindLaw. September 16, 2007. http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/oj/nvoj91607arrstrpt5.html. Retrieved September 18, 2007. 
37. ^ "Las Vegas P.D. summary and excerpts of 9/15/07 interview with Alexander". FindLaw. September 16, 2007. http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/oj/nvoj91607arrstrpt.html. Retrieved September 18, 2007. 
38. ^ "Police: Simpson cooperating in armed robbery probe". CNN. September 14, 2007. http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/09/14/simpson/index.html. ^{[dead link]}
39. ^ "O.J. Simpson a Suspect in Casino 'Armed Robbery'". FOXNews. September 14, 2007. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,296758,00.html. 
40. ^ Nakashima, Ryan (September 17, 2007). "Apparent tape released of O.J. in Vegas". Associated Press. http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-09-16-3123706429_x.htm. 
41. ^ "State of Nevada v. O.J. Simpson, et al.". FindLaw. September 18, 2007. http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/oj/ojnv91807cmp.html. Retrieved September 18, 2007. 
42. ^ "OJ Simpson faces break-in charges". BBC. September 17, 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6997950.stm. 
43. ^ "Judge sets $125K bail for O.J. Simpson". ABC News. September 19, 2007. http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=3623936. Retrieved September 19, 2007. 
44. ^ "Simpson's Bail Set at $125,000". TIME Magazine. September 19, 2007. http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1663383,00.html?xid=feed-cnn-topics. Retrieved September 19, 2007. 
45. ^ "Three plead guilty." CNN. October 15, 2007.
46. ^ ^{a b} "400 jurors could be screened for OJ Simpson trial." Newsmax. May 22, 2008.
47. ^ "O.J. Simpson." Hollywood Grind.
48. ^ "Day After Judge's Scolding, O.J. Flies Home: Simpson Released From Nevada Prison After Posting Bail". CBS5.com KPIX TV San Francisco. January 17, 2007. Archived from the original on May 15, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080515131147/http://cbs5.com/national/Simpson.posts.bail.2.631865.html. Retrieved April 18, 2008. 
49. ^ ^{a b c} nytimes.com, "Nevada: Simpson Appeals." New York Times. October 11, 2008.
50. ^ "O.J. Simpson's lawyers request another trial." CNN. October 10, 2008.
51. ^ Ritter, Ken. "OJ Simpson seeks new robbery trial in Las Vegas." Associated Press. October 10, 2008.
52. ^ "O.J. Simpson Held on Bail Violation." Associated Press. January 11, 2008.
53. ^ O.J. Simpson sentenced to long prison term MSNBC (Retrieved on December 5, 2008)
54. ^ Martinez, Michael (October 22, 2010). "O.J. Simpson loses appeal in Las Vegas armed robbery trial". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/10/22/nevada.oj.simpson.court/. Retrieved October 22, 2010. 
55. ^ Offender detail: O.J Simpson. Nevada Department of Corrections. Retrieved on January 6, 2010. (broken link)

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: O. J. Simpson

• Member Pro Football Hall of Fame: profile
• O. J. Simpson at the College Football Hall of Fame
• O. J. Simpson at the Heisman Trophy
• O. J. Simpson at Pro-Football-Reference.com
• O. J. Simpson at the Internet Movie Database
• O.J. Simpson Profile at USC Legends

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Steve Carlton	Hickok Belt Winner 1973	Succeeded by Muhammad Ali
Records
Preceded by Willie Ellison	NFL single-game rushing record September 16, 1973 – November 20, 1977	Succeeded by Walter Payton
Preceded by Jim Brown	NFL single-season rushing record 1973–1984	Succeeded by Eric Dickerson

v t e Heisman Trophy winners 1935: Berwanger 1936: Kelley 1937: Frank 1938: O'Brien 1939: Kinnick 1940: Harmon 1941: B. Smith 1942: Sinkwich 1943: Bertelli 1944: Horvath 1945: Blanchard 1946: G. Davis 1947: Lujack 1948: D. Walker 1949: Hart 1950: Janowicz 1951: Kazmaier 1952: Vessels 1953: Lattner 1954: Ameche 1955: Cassady 1956: Hornung 1957: Crow 1958: Dawkins 1959: Cannon 1960: Bellino 1961: E. Davis 1962: Baker 1963: Staubach 1964: Huarte 1965: Garrett 1966: Spurrier 1967: Beban 1968: Simpson 1969: Owens 1970: Plunkett 1971: Sullivan 1972: Rodgers 1973: Cappelletti 1974: Griffin 1975: Griffin 1976: Dorsett 1977: Campbell 1978: Sims 1979: C. White 1980: Rogers 1981: Allen 1982: H. Walker 1983: Rozier 1984: Flutie 1985: Jackson 1986: Testaverde 1987: Brown 1988: Sanders 1989: Ware 1990: Detmer 1991: Howard 1992: Torretta 1993: Ward 1994: Salaam 1995: George 1996: Wuerffel 1997: Woodson 1998: Williams 1999: Dayne 2000: Weinke 2001: Crouch 2002: Palmer 2003: J. White 2004: Leinart 2005: vacated * 2006: T. Smith 2007: Tebow 2008: Bradford 2009: Ingram 2010: Newton 2011: Griffin III *Note: The 2005 Heisman Trophy was originally awarded to Reggie Bush, but Bush forfeited the award in 2010. The Heisman Trust subsequently decided to leave the 2005 award vacated.

v t e National Football League Draft number one overall picks Berwanger Francis C. Davis Aldrich Cafego Harmon Dudley Sinkwich Bertelli Trippi Dancewicz Fenimore Gilmer Bednarik Hart Rote Wade Babcock Garrett Shaw Glick Hornung Hill Duncan Cannon Mason E. Davis Baker Parks Frederickson Nobis Bu. Smith Yary Simpson Bradshaw Plunkett Patulski Matuszak Jones Bartkowski Selmon Bell Campbell Cousineau B. Sims Rogers K. Sims Elway Fryar Br. Smith Jackson Testaverde Bruce Aikman George Maryland Emtman Bledsoe Wilkinson Carter Johnson Pace P. Manning Couch Brown Vick Carr Palmer E. Manning A. Smith Williams Russell Long Stafford Bradford Newton Luck

v t e Number one AFL Draft picks 1961: Gaiters 1962: Gabriel 1963: Buchanan 1964: Concannon 1965: Namath 1966: Grabowski 1967: Griese (#4 Common Draft) 1968: Johnson (#2 Common Draft) 1969: Simpson (#1 Common Draft)

v t e Buffalo Bills first-round draft picks Dennis Pitts Moses Simpson Cowlings Hill Patulski Seymour DeLamielleure Gant Ruud Clark Dokes Miller Cousineau Butler Ritcher Moore Tuttle Hunter Kelly Bell B. Smith Burroughs Harmon Conlan J. Williams Jones Fina T. Smith Burris Brown Moulds A. Smith Winfield Flowers Clements M. Williams McGahee Evans Losman Whitner McCargo Lynch McKelvin Maybin Wood Spiller Dareus Gilmore AFC East BUF MIA NE NYJ North BAL CIN CLE PIT South HOU IND JAC TEN West DEN KC OAK SD NFC East DAL NYG PHI WAS North CHI DET GB MIN South ATL CAR NO TB West ARI STL SF SEA

v t e Buffalo Bills Founded in 1959 • Based in Orchard Park, New York The Franchise Franchise • History • Players • Seasons • Starting Quarterbacks • Coaches • Logos and Uniforms • Toronto series Stadiums War Memorial Stadium • Ralph Wilson Stadium • Rogers Centre Culture Buffalo Sports Curse • Ralph Wilson • Billy Buffalo • Buffalo Jills Lore AAFC Buffalo Bills • Electric Company • The Comeback • Wide Right • Music City Miracle Head Coaches Ramsey • Saban • Collier • Johnson • Rauch • Ringo • Knox • Stephenson • Bullough • Levy • Phillips • Williams • Mularkey • Jauron • Gailey Division Championships (10) 1964, 1965, 1966, 1980, 1988, 1989 , 1990, 1991, 1993, 1995 Super Bowl Appearances (4) XXV • XXVI • XXVII • XXVIII League Championships (2) 1964, 1965 Wall of Fame Simpson, Kemp, McGroder, Sestak, Shaw, Wilson, 12th Man, Dubenion, Stratton, Ferguson, Levy, DeLamielleure, James, Abramoski, Kalsu, Saimes, Kelly, Smerlas, Hull, Talley, Ritcher, Thomas, Reed, Tasker, Smith, Edgerson, Hansen Media Radio network • John Murphy • Van Miller • Mark Kelso • Steve Tasker • Ray Bentley • 97 Rock • Toronto Series broadcasters Current League Affiliations League: National Football League • Conference: American Football Conference • Division: East Division Rivalries Miami Dolphins • New York Jets   Seasons (53) 1960s 1960 • 1961 • 1962 • 1963 • 1964 • 1965 • 1966 • 1967 • 1968 • 1969 1970s 1970 • 1971 • 1972 • 1973 • 1974 • 1975 • 1976 • 1977 • 1978 • 1979 1980s 1980 • 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 1990s 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 2000s 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 2010s 2010 • 2011 • 2012

v t e United States Superstars Champions 1973: Bob Seagren 1974: Kyle Rote, Jr. 1975: O. J. Simpson 1976: Kyle Rote, Jr. 1977: Kyle Rote, Jr. 1978: Wayne Grimditch 1979: Greg Pruitt 1980: Charles White 1981: Renaldo Nehemiah 1982: Renaldo Nehemiah 1983: Renaldo Nehemiah 1984: Tom Petranoff 1985: Mark Gastineau 1986: Renaldo Nehemiah 1987: Herschel Walker 1988: Herschel Walker 1989: Willie Gault 1990: Willie Gault 1991: Kelly Gruber 1992: Mike Powell 1993: Dave Johnson 1994: Dave Johnson 1995: competition not held 1996: competition not held 1997: competition not held 1998: Jason Sehorn 1999: Jason Sehorn 2000: Jason Sehorn 2001: Hermann Maier 2002: Bode Miller 2003: Jeremy Bloom

Awards for O. J. Simpson v t e Heisman Trophy winners 1935: Berwanger 1936: Kelley 1937: Frank 1938: O'Brien 1939: Kinnick 1940: Harmon 1941: B. Smith 1942: Sinkwich 1943: Bertelli 1944: Horvath 1945: Blanchard 1946: G. Davis 1947: Lujack 1948: D. Walker 1949: Hart 1950: Janowicz 1951: Kazmaier 1952: Vessels 1953: Lattner 1954: Ameche 1955: Cassady 1956: Hornung 1957: Crow 1958: Dawkins 1959: Cannon 1960: Bellino 1961: E. Davis 1962: Baker 1963: Staubach 1964: Huarte 1965: Garrett 1966: Spurrier 1967: Beban 1968: Simpson 1969: Owens 1970: Plunkett 1971: Sullivan 1972: Rodgers 1973: Cappelletti 1974: Griffin 1975: Griffin 1976: Dorsett 1977: Campbell 1978: Sims 1979: C. White 1980: Rogers 1981: Allen 1982: H. Walker 1983: Rozier 1984: Flutie 1985: Jackson 1986: Testaverde 1987: Brown 1988: Sanders 1989: Ware 1990: Detmer 1991: Howard 1992: Torretta 1993: Ward 1994: Salaam 1995: George 1996: Wuerffel 1997: Woodson 1998: Williams 1999: Dayne 2000: Weinke 2001: Crouch 2002: Palmer 2003: J. White 2004: Leinart 2005: vacated * 2006: T. Smith 2007: Tebow 2008: Bradford 2009: Ingram 2010: Newton 2011: Griffin III *Note: The 2005 Heisman Trophy was originally awarded to Reggie Bush, but Bush forfeited the award in 2010. The Heisman Trust subsequently decided to leave the 2005 award vacated. v t e 1967 College Football All-America Team consensus selections Offense B Gary Beban B Larry Csonka B Leroy Keyes B O. J. Simpson E Dennis Homan E Ron Sellers OT Edgar Chandler OT Ron Yary G Rich Stotter G Harry Olzewski C Bob Johnson Defense DL Dennis Byrd DL Ted Hendricks DL Granville Liggins DL Wayne Meylan DL Tim Rossovich LB Don Manning LB Adrian Young DB Dick Anderson DB Bobby Johns DB Frank Loria DB Tom Schoen v t e 1968 College Football All-America Team consensus selections Offense QB Terry Hanratty B Chris Gilbert B Leroy Keyes B O. J. Simpson E Jerry LeVias E Ted Kwalick T Dave Foley T George Kunz G Jim Barnes G Bill Bridges C John Didion Defense DL Joe Greene DL Ted Hendricks DL Chuck Kyle DL Bill Stanfill DL Ed White DL John Zook LB Steve Kiner LB Dennis Onkotz LB Mike Ballou DB Jake Scott DB Roger Wehrli DB Al Worley v t e 1973 AP NFL All-Pro Team Offense: QB John Hadl QB Fran Tarkenton RB O. J. Simpson RB Larry Csonka RB Calvin Hill RB John Brockington WR Harold Jackson WR Harold Carmichael WR Paul Warfield WR John Gilliam TE Charle Young TE Riley Odoms OT Ron Yary OT Rayfield Wright OT George Kunz OT Art Shell G Larry Little G Reggie McKenzie G Tom Mack G Joe Scibelli C Forrest Blue C Bob Johnson Defense: DE Claude Humphrey DE Bill Stanfill DE Carl Eller DT Joe Greene DT Alan Page DT Mike Reid OLB Chris Hanburger OLB Dave Wilcox OLB Isiah Robertson MLB Lee Roy Jordan MLB Willie Lanier CB Willie Brown CB Mel Renfro CB Robert James S Dick Anderson S Jake Scott S Bill Bradley S Mike Wagner Special Teams P Ray Guy PK Garo Yepremian v t e 1974 AP NFL All-Pro Team Offense: QB Ken Stabler RB O. J. Simpson RB Otis Armstrong RB Lawrence McCutcheon WR Cliff Branch WR Drew Pearson WR Mel Gray TE Riley Odoms OT Ron Yary OT Art Shell G Larry Little G Gene Upshaw G Tom Mack G Ed White G Gale Gillingham C Jim Langer Defense: DE Claude Humphrey DE L. C. Greenwood DE Jack Youngblood DE Fred Dryer DT Alan Page DT Joe Greene OLB Jack Ham OLB Ted Hendricks MLB Bill Bergey MLB Willie Lanier CB Emmitt Thomas CB Roger Wehrli CB Robert James S Dick Anderson S Jake Scott S Tony Greene S Ken Houston Special Teams P Ray Guy PK Chester Marcol PK Jan Stenerud v t e 1975 AP NFL All-Pro Team Offense: QB Fran Tarkenton RB O. J. Simpson RB Chuck Foreman WR Cliff Branch WR Isaac Curtis WR Mel Gray WR Lynn Swann TE Charle Young TE Riley Odoms OT Ron Yary OT George Kunz OT Dan Dierdorf OT Rayfield Wright G Larry Little G Joe DeLamielleure G Bob Kuechenberg G Ed White C Jim Langer Defense: DE L. C. Greenwood DE Jack Youngblood DT Alan Page DT Curley Culp DT Wally Chambers OLB Jack Ham OLB Isiah Robertson OLB Chris Hanburger OLB Phil Villapiano OLB Andy Russell MLB Bill Bergey MLB Willie Lanier MLB Jack Lambert CB Emmitt Thomas CB Roger Wehrli CB Mel Blount S Paul Krause S Cliff Harris S Ken Houston Special Teams: P Ray Guy PK Jim Bakken KR Billy Johnson v t e Walter Camp Award winners 1967: Simpson 1968: Simpson 1969: Owens 1970: Plunkett 1971: Sullivan 1972: Rodgers 1973: Cappelletti 1974: Griffin 1975: Griffin 1976: Dorsett 1977: MacAfee 1978: Sims 1979: White 1980: Green 1981: Allen 1982: Walker 1983: Rozier 1984: Flutie 1985: Jackson 1986: Testaverde 1987: Brown 1988: Sanders 1989: Thompson 1990: Ismail 1991: Howard 1992: Torretta 1993: Ward 1994: Salaam 1995: George 1996: Wuerffel 1997: Woodson 1998: Williams 1999: Dayne 2000: Heupel 2001: Crouch 2002: Johnson 2003: Fitzgerald 2004: Leinart 2005: Bush 2006: Smith 2007: McFadden 2008: McCoy 2009: McCoy 2010: Newton 2011: Luck v t e Chic Harley Award winners 1955: Cassady 1956: Hornung 1957: Crow 1958: Cannon 1959: Cannon 1960: Bellino 1961: E. Davis 1962: Baker 1963: Staubach 1964: Timberlake 1965: Garrett 1966: Spurrier 1967: Beban 1968: Simpson 1969: Owens 1970: Plunkett 1971: Sullivan 1972: Rodgers 1973: Cappelletti 1974: Griffin 1975: Griffin 1976: Dorsett 1977: Campbell 1978: Sims 1979: C. White 1980: Rogers 1981: Allen 1982: H. Walker 1983: Rozier 1984: Flutie 1985: Jackson 1986: Harbaugh 1987: Spielman 1988: Sanders 1989: Thompson 1990: Lewis 1991: Howard 1992: Torretta 1993: Ward 1994: Salaam 1995: George 1996: Davis 1997: Woodson 1998: Williams 1999: Dayne 2000: Heupel 2001: Dorsey 2002: Dorsey 2003: Fitzgerald 2004: Bush 2005: Bush 2006: T. Smith 2007: Tebow 2008: Bradford 2009: McCoy 2010: Newton 2011: Griffin III v t e Maxwell Award winners 1937: Frank 1938: O'Brien 1939: Kinnick 1940: Harmon 1941: Dudley 1942: Governali 1943: Odell 1944: G. Davis 1945: Blanchard 1946: Trippi 1947: D. Walker 1948: Bednarik 1949: Hart 1950: Bagnell 1951: Kazmaier 1952: Lattner 1953: Lattner 1954: Beagle 1955: Cassady 1956: McDonald 1957: Reifsnyder 1958: Dawkins 1959: Lucas 1960: Bellino 1961: Ferguson 1962: Baker 1963: Staubach 1964: Ressler 1965: Nobis 1966: Lynch 1967: Beban 1968: Simpson 1969: Reid 1970: Plunkett 1971: Marinaro 1972: Van Pelt 1973: Cappelletti 1974: Joachim 1975: Griffin 1976: Dorsett 1977: Browner 1978: Fusina 1979: C. White 1980: Green 1981: Allen 1982: H. Walker 1983: Rozier 1984: Flutie 1985: Long 1986: Testaverde 1987: McPherson 1988: Sanders 1989: Thompson 1990: Detmer 1991: Howard 1992: Torretta 1993: Ward 1994: Collins 1995: George 1996: Wuerffel 1997: P. Manning 1998: Williams 1999: Dayne 2000: Brees 2001: Dorsey 2002: Johnson 2003: E. Manning 2004: J. White 2005: Young 2006: Quinn 2007: Tebow 2008: Tebow 2009: McCoy 2010: Newton 2011: Luck v t e Sporting News College Football Player of the Year winners 1942: Sinkwich 1943: Bertelli 1944: Horvath 1945: Blanchard 1946: G. Davis 1947: Lujack 1948: D. Walker 1949: Hart 1950: Janowicz 1951: Kazmaier 1952: Vessels 1953: Lattner 1954: Cassady 1955: Cassady 1956: McDonald 1957: Crow 1958: Cannon 1959: Cannon 1960: Bellino 1961: Ferguson 1962: Baker 1963: Staubach 1964: Butkus 1965: Anderson & Grabowski 1966: Spurrier 1967: Beban 1968: Simpson 1969: Owens 1970: Plunkett 1971: Sullivan & Marinaro 1972: B. Jones 1973: Hicks 1974: Griffin 1975: Griffin 1976: Dorsett 1977: Campbell 1978: Sims 1979: C. White 1980: Green 1981: Allen 1982: H. Walker 1983: Rozier 1984: Flutie 1985: Jackson 1986: Testaverde 1987: Brown 1988: Sanders 1989: Hagen 1990: Ismail 1991: Howard 1992: M. Jones 1993: Ward 1994: Salaam 1995: Frazier 1996: Wuerffel 1997: Woodson 1998: Williams 1999: Dayne 2000: Weinke 2001: Crouch 2002: Palmer 2003: J. White 2004: A. Smith 2005: Bush 2006: T. Smith 2007: Tebow 2008: Harrell, Bradford & McCoy 2009: Ingram 2010: Newton 2011: Griffin III v t e UPI College Football Player of the Year winners 1950: Janowicz 1951: Kazmaier 1952: Vessels 1953: Giel 1954: Ameche 1955: Cassady 1956: Majors 1957: Crow 1958: Cannon 1959: Cannon 1960: Bellino 1961: Ferguson 1962: Baker 1963: Staubach 1964: Huarte 1965: Garrett 1966: Spurrier 1967: Simpson 1968: Simpson 1969: Owens 1970: Plunkett 1971: Marinaro 1972: Rogers 1973: Cappelletti 1974: Griffin 1975: Griffin 1976: Dorsett 1977: Campbell 1978: Sims 1979: C. White 1980: Green 1981: Allen 1982: H. Walker 1983: Rozier 1984: Flutie 1985: Jackson 1986: Testaverde 1987: Brown 1988: Sanders 1989: Ware 1990: Detmer 1991: Howard v t e Buffalo Bills Hall of Famers 1985: O.J. Simpson 1999: Billy Shaw 2001: Marv Levy 2002: Jim Kelly 2003: Joe DeLamielleure 2007: Thurman Thomas 2009: Bruce Smith 2009: Ralph Wilson

Links for O. J. Simpson v t e USC Trojans Football 1967 Consensus National Champions Mike Battle Dennis Crane Jimmy Gunn Bill Hayhoe Mike Holmgren Mike Hull Bob Klein Earl McCullouch Tim Rossovich O. J. Simpson Mike Taylor Ron Yary Head Coach: John McKay Assistant Coaches: Dick Coury Craig Fertig Phil Krueger v t e National Football League Draft number one overall picks Berwanger Francis C. Davis Aldrich Cafego Harmon Dudley Sinkwich Bertelli Trippi Dancewicz Fenimore Gilmer Bednarik Hart Rote Wade Babcock Garrett Shaw Glick Hornung Hill Duncan Cannon Mason E. Davis Baker Parks Frederickson Nobis Bu. Smith Yary Simpson Bradshaw Plunkett Patulski Matuszak Jones Bartkowski Selmon Bell Campbell Cousineau B. Sims Rogers K. Sims Elway Fryar Br. Smith Jackson Testaverde Bruce Aikman George Maryland Emtman Bledsoe Wilkinson Carter Johnson Pace P. Manning Couch Brown Vick Carr Palmer E. Manning A. Smith Williams Russell Long Stafford Bradford Newton Luck v t e Buffalo Bills first-round draft picks Dennis Pitts Moses Simpson Cowlings Hill Patulski Seymour DeLamielleure Gant Ruud Clark Dokes Miller Cousineau Butler Ritcher Moore Tuttle Hunter Kelly Bell B. Smith Burroughs Harmon Conlan J. Williams Jones Fina T. Smith Burris Brown Moulds A. Smith Winfield Flowers Clements M. Williams McGahee Evans Losman Whitner McCargo Lynch McKelvin Maybin Wood Spiller Dareus Gilmore AFC East BUF MIA NE NYJ North BAL CIN CLE PIT South HOU IND JAC TEN West DEN KC OAK SD NFC East DAL NYG PHI WAS North CHI DET GB MIN South ATL CAR NO TB West ARI STL SF SEA v t e NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award from the Associated Press 1972: Brown 1973: Simpson 1974: Stabler 1975: Tarkenton 1976: Jones 1977: Payton 1978: Campbell 1979: Campbell 1980: Campbell 1981: Anderson 1982: Fouts 1983: Theismann 1984: Marino 1985: Allen 1986: Dickerson 1987: Rice 1988: Craig 1989: Montana 1990: Moon 1991: Thomas 1992: Young 1993: Rice 1994: Sanders 1995: Favre 1996: Davis 1997: Sanders 1998: Davis 1999: Faulk 2000: Faulk 2001: Faulk 2002: Holmes 2003: Lewis 2004: Manning 2005: Alexander 2006: Tomlinson 2007: Brady 2008: Brees 2009: Johnson 2010: Brady 2011: Brees v t e NFL MVP Award from the Associated Press 1957: J. Brown 1958: J. Brown 1959: Unitas 1960: Not Awarded 1961: Hornung 1962: J. Taylor 1963: Tittle 1964: Unitas 1965: J. Brown 1966: Starr 1967: Unitas 1968: Morrall 1969: Gabriel 1970: Brodie 1971: Page 1972: L. Brown 1973: Simpson 1974: Stabler 1975: Tarkenton 1976: Jones 1977: Payton 1978: Bradshaw 1979: Campbell 1980: Sipe 1981: Anderson 1982: Moseley 1983: Theismann 1984: Marino 1985: Allen 1986: L. Taylor 1987: Elway 1988: Esiason 1989: Montana 1990: Montana 1991: Thomas 1992: Young 1993: Smith 1994: Young 1995: Favre 1996: Favre 1997: Favre & Sanders 1998: Davis 1999: Warner 2000: Faulk 2001: Warner 2002: Gannon 2003: Manning & McNair 2004: Manning 2005: Alexander 2006: Tomlinson 2007: Brady 2008: Manning 2009: Manning 2010: Brady 2011: Rodgers v t e Bert Bell Award winners 1959: Unitas 1960: Van Brocklin 1961: Hornung 1962: Robustelli 1963: J. Brown 1964: Unitas 1965: Retzlaff 1966: Meredith 1967: Unitas 1968: Kelly 1969: Gabriel 1970: Blanda 1971: Staubach 1972: L. Brown 1973: Simpson 1974: Olsen 1975: Tarkenton 1976: Stabler 1977: Griese 1978: Bradshaw 1979: Campbell 1980: Jaworski 1981: Anderson 1982: Theismann 1983: Riggins 1984: Marino 1985: Payton 1986: Taylor 1987: Rice 1988: Cunningham 1989: Montana 1990: Cunningham 1991: Sanders 1992: Young 1993: Smith 1994: Young 1995: Favre 1996: Favre 1997: Sanders 1998: Cunningham 1999: Warner 2000: Gannon 2001: Faulk 2002: Gannon 2003: Manning 2004: Manning 2005: Alexander 2006: Tomlinson 2007: Brady 2008: Peterson 2009: Brees 2010: Vick v t e National Football League | NFL's 1970s All-Decade Team Terry Bradshaw Ken Stabler Roger Staubach Earl Campbell Franco Harris Walter Payton O. J. Simpson Harold Carmichael Drew Pearson Lynn Swann Paul Warfield Dave Casper Charlie Sanders Dan Dierdorf Art Shell Rayfield Wright Ron Yary Joe DeLamielleure John Hannah Larry Little Gene Upshaw Jim Langer Mike Webster Carl Eller L. C. Greenwood Harvey Martin Jack Youngblood Joe Greene Bob Lilly Merlin Olsen Alan Page Bobby Bell Robert Brazile Dick Butkus Jack Ham Ted Hendricks Jack Lambert Willie Brown Jimmy Johnson Roger Wehrli Louis Wright Dick Anderson Cliff Harris Ken Houston Rick Upchurch Larry Wilson Garo Yepremian Jim Bakken Ray Guy v t e National Football League 75th Anniversary All-Time Team Sammy Baugh | Otto Graham | Joe Montana | Johnny Unitas | Jim Brown | Marion Motley | Bronko Nagurski | Walter Payton | Gale Sayers | O.J. Simpson | Steve Van Buren | Lance Alworth | Raymond Berry | Don Hutson | Jerry Rice | Mike Ditka | Kellen Winslow | Roosevelt Brown | Forrest Gregg | Anthony Muñoz | John Hannah | Jim Parker | Gene Upshaw | Mel Hein | Mike Webster | Deacon Jones | Gino Marchetti | Reggie White | Joe Greene | Bob Lilly | Merlin Olsen | Dick Butkus | Jack Ham | Ted Hendricks | Jack Lambert | Willie Lanier | Ray Nitschke | Lawrence Taylor | Mel Blount | Mike Haynes | Dick Lane | Rod Woodson | Ken Houston | Ronnie Lott | Larry Wilson | Ray Guy | Jan Stenerud | Billy Johnson v t e 10,000 Rushing Yards Club Emmitt Smith Walter Payton Barry Sanders Curtis Martin LaDainian Tomlinson Jerome Bettis Eric Dickerson Tony Dorsett Jim Brown Marshall Faulk Edgerrin James Marcus Allen Franco Harris Thurman Thomas Fred Taylor John Riggins Corey Dillon O. J. Simpson Warrick Dunn Ricky Watters Jamal Lewis Thomas Jones Tiki Barber Eddie George Ottis Anderson Ricky Williams Italics denotes active player v t e National Football League running backs with 2,000 rushing yards in a single season 1973: O. J. Simpson 1984: Eric Dickerson 1997: Barry Sanders 1998: Terrell Davis 2003: Jamal Lewis 2009: Chris Johnson v t e Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 1985 Frank Gatski Joe Namath Pete Rozelle O. J. Simpson Roger Staubach v t e Sporting News Sportsman/Pro Athlete of the Year 1968: Denny McLain 1969: Tom Seaver 1970: John Wooden 1971: Lee Trevino 1972: Charlie Finley 1973: O.J. Simpson 1974: Lou Brock 1975: Archie Griffin 1976: Larry O'Brien 1977: Steve Cauthen 1978: Ron Guidry 1979: Willie Stargell 1980: George Brett 1981: Wayne Gretzky 1982: Whitey Herzog 1983: Bowie Kuhn 1984: Peter Ueberroth 1985: Pete Rose 1986: Larry Bird 1987: None 1988: Jackie Joyner-Kersee 1989: Joe Montana 1990: Nolan Ryan 1991: Michael Jordan 1992: Mike Krzyzewski 1993: Cito Gaston & Pat Gillick 1994: Emmitt Smith 1995: Cal Ripken, Jr. 1996: Joe Torre 1997: Mark McGwire 1998: Mark McGwire & Sammy Sosa 1999: New York Yankees 2000: Marshall Faulk & Kurt Warner 2001: Curt Schilling 2002: Tyrone Willingham 2003: Dick Vermeil & Jack McKeon 2004: Tom Brady 2005: Matt Leinart 2006: Dwyane Wade 2007: Tom Brady 2008: Eli Manning 2009: Mariano Rivera 2010: Roy Halladay v t e United States Superstars Champions 1973: Bob Seagren 1974: Kyle Rote, Jr. 1975: O. J. Simpson 1976: Kyle Rote, Jr. 1977: Kyle Rote, Jr. 1978: Wayne Grimditch 1979: Greg Pruitt 1980: Charles White 1981: Renaldo Nehemiah 1982: Renaldo Nehemiah 1983: Renaldo Nehemiah 1984: Tom Petranoff 1985: Mark Gastineau 1986: Renaldo Nehemiah 1987: Herschel Walker 1988: Herschel Walker 1989: Willie Gault 1990: Willie Gault 1991: Kelly Gruber 1992: Mike Powell 1993: Dave Johnson 1994: Dave Johnson 1995: competition not held 1996: competition not held 1997: competition not held 1998: Jason Sehorn 1999: Jason Sehorn 2000: Jason Sehorn 2001: Hermann Maier 2002: Bode Miller 2003: Jeremy Bloom v t e NFL Alumni Career Achievement Award 1981 Rocky Bleier & Roger Staubach • 1982 Merlin Olsen & O. J. Simpson • 1983 George Blanda & Earl Morrall • 1985 Frank Gifford & Jack Kemp • 1986 Dan Fortmann & Ray Nitschke • 1987 Willie Davis & Don Hutson • 1988 Art Donovan • 1989 Bart Starr • 1990 Nick Buoniconti • 1992 Ken Farragut • 1993 Gino Marchetti • 1994 Byron White • 1995 Alan Page • 1996 Mike Reid • 1997 Jerry Richardson • 1998 Dr. Robert Khayat • 1999 Dr. Ed Sutton • 2000 Paul Salata • 2001 Terry Bradshaw • 2002 Steve Largent • 2003 Fred Dryer • 2004 Bob Griese • 2005 Drew Pearson • 2007 Mike Haynes v t e Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year 1931: Pepper Martin 1932: Gene Sarazen 1933: Carl Hubbell 1934: Dizzy Dean 1935: Joe Louis 1936: Jesse Owens 1937: Don Budge 1938: Don Budge 1939: Nile Kinnick 1940: Tom Harmon 1941: Joe DiMaggio 1942: Frank Sinkwich 1943: Gunder Hägg 1944: Byron Nelson 1945: Byron Nelson 1946: Glenn Davis 1947: Johnny Lujack 1948: Lou Boudreau 1949: Leon Hart 1950: Jim Konstanty 1951: Dick Kazmaier 1952: Bob Mathias 1953: Ben Hogan 1954: Willie Mays 1955: Howard Cassady 1956: Mickey Mantle 1957: Ted Williams 1958: Herb Elliot 1959: Ingemar Johansson 1960: Rafer Johnson 1961: Roger Maris 1962: Maury Wills 1963: Sandy Koufax 1964: Don Schollander 1965: Sandy Koufax 1966: Frank Robinson 1967: Carl Yastrzemski 1968: Denny McLain 1969: Tom Seaver 1970: George Blanda 1971: Lee Trevino 1972: Mark Spitz 1973: O. J. Simpson 1974: Muhammad Ali 1975: Fred Lynn 1976: Bruce Jenner 1977: Steve Cauthen 1978: Ron Guidry 1979: Willie Stargell 1980: U.S. Olympic Hockey Team 1981: John McEnroe 1982: Wayne Gretzky 1983: Carl Lewis 1984: Carl Lewis 1985: Dwight Gooden 1986: Larry Bird 1987: Ben Johnson 1988: Orel Hershiser 1989: Joe Montana 1990: Joe Montana 1991: Michael Jordan 1992: Michael Jordan 1993: Michael Jordan 1994: George Foreman 1995: Cal Ripken, Jr. 1996: Michael Johnson 1997: Tiger Woods 1998: Mark McGwire 1999: Tiger Woods 2000: Tiger Woods 2001: Barry Bonds 2002: Lance Armstrong 2003: Lance Armstrong 2004: Lance Armstrong 2005: Lance Armstrong 2006: Tiger Woods 2007: Tom Brady 2008: Michael Phelps 2009: Jimmie Johnson 2010: Drew Brees 2011: Aaron Rodgers v t e O. J. Simpson murder trial Key figures O. J. Simpson Nicole Brown Simpson Ronald Goldman Al Cowlings Lance Ito Prosecution figures Marcia Clark Christopher Darden Gil Garcetti Defense figures F. Lee Bailey Johnnie Cochran Alan Dershowitz Carl Douglas Robert Kardashian Barry Scheck Robert Shapiro Witnesses Traci Adell Michael Baden Pablo Fenjves Mark Fuhrman Kato Kaelin Henry Lee Other elements Brentwood Bruno Magli Centinela Avenue Ford Bronco Fuhrman tapes If I Did It American Tragedy (film)

Preceded by Chevy Chase

Saturday Night Live Host February 25, 1978

Succeeded by Art Garfunkel

Persondata
Name	Simpson, O. J.
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1947-7-9 San Francisco
Place of birth	San Francisco, U.S.
Date of death
Place of death

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