SIMPSON, O.J.

born July 9, 1947, San Francisco, Calif., U.S. Simpson, 1975 in full Orenthal James Simpson American collegiate and professional football player who was a premier running back known for his speed and evasiveness. Simpson played football at Galileo High School (San Francisco), first as a tackle and then as a fullback. He attended San Francisco City College (196566) to achieve a scholastic record that allowed him to play at the University of Southern California (USC; Los Angeles, 196768), where he set records for yards gained by rushing: 1967, 1,415 yards; 1968, 1,709 yards. He was named All-American (196768), played in two Rose Bowl games, and won the Heisman Trophy as the best collegiate player of the season (1968). At USC he was also a member of a world-record-setting 440-yard relay team. Simpson, who was often called Orange Juice because of his initials, was the number-one draft choice of the American Football League (AFL) Buffalo Bills in 1969. He set a season record for yards gained rushing (2,003) in 1973. The Bills were never a contending team during his stay, but he was a great box office draw. Injuries to his knees prompted the Bills to trade him in 1978 to the National Football League (NFL) San Francisco 49ers, but he retired after the 1979 season. His 1975 record of most touchdowns scored in a season (23) was broken in 1983, and his 1973 season rushing record for most yards gained was broken in 1984. He led the AFL in rushing yardage in 197273 and 197576. His career total yards gained (11,236) was second in the all-time rankings at the time of his retirement. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. After retiring from football, Simpson became a film and television actor and sports commentator. In 1995 Simpson became the defendant in one of the most celebrated criminal trials in American history. On June 12, 1994, his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ronald Goldman, were stabbed to death outside her home in Los Angeles. Simpson was arrested and charged with the two murders on June 17; he pleaded not guilty and hired a team of prominent lawyers to handle his defense. His lengthy, nationally televised trial became the focus of unprecedented media scrutiny. A jury acquitted Simpson of the murder charges on Oct. 3, 1995. In a separate civil trial, on Feb. 4, 1997, he was found liable for the battery of his ex-wife and for the death of Goldman, whose family was awarded $8.5 million.