(WBEN/WGR 550) - Former Buffalo Bills star running back, who famously stood trial for the murders of his former wife and her friend, has died at the age of 76.
Simpson's family made the announcement in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Thursday morning.
It was reported in February that Simpson had been undergoing treatment for prostate cancer, though he had posted a video on X denying he was in hospice care.
The former USC star running back and Heisman Trophy winner became a household name in Buffalo and beyond between 1969 and 1977, where he rushed for 10,183 yards and 57 touchdowns. He was the league's leading rusher four times while playing with the Bills.
In 1973, Simpson became the first NFL player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season and won league MVP honors. That in a year the Bills missed the playoffs, making him the second and last player to win NFL MVP honors on a team that failed to qualify for the postseason.
The six-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro went on to play 11 total seasons in the league, two more after the Bills with the San Francisco 49ers, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985 in his first year of eligibility.
"O.J. Simpson was the first player to reach a rushing mark many thought could not be attained in a 14-game season when he topped 2,000 yards," said Pro Football Hall of Fame President Jim Porter in a statement. "His on-field contributions will be preserved in the Hall’s archives in Canton, Ohio."
Then in 1994, Simpson was arrested and charged with the murder of his former wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman. Both the chase leading up to his arrest and lengthy trial were highly publicized.
He was controversially acquitted of the murders, but found liable for their deaths in a civil suit.