O.J. Simpson, one of the most polarizing athletes of all time, has passed away after a battle with cancer. He was 76 years old.
The Simpson family confirmed on social media that O.J. is no longer with them.
“On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer,” the family wrote on X. “He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace.”
There were rumors in February about Simpson being in hospice care, but he tried to shut them down.
“Hey X world. Hospice? Hospice? You talking about Hospice? I’m not in any hospice. I don’t know who put that out there,” Simpson said. “Whoever put that out there, I guess it’s like the Donald says, ‘Can’t trust the media.’ In any event, I’m hosting a ton of friends for the Super Bowl in Las Vegas. All is well. Take care. Have a good Super Bowl weekend.”
Simpson was in the spotlight for pretty much his entire life. In the 1990s, he was on trial for the murders of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. He was eventually acquitted in one of the most famous trials ever.
As for Simpson’s football career, let’s just say he excelled at every level.
Simpson became a household name at USC, winning a national championship in 1967 and the Heisman Trophy in 1968. He was then selected by the Buffalo Bills with the No. 1 pick in the 1969 NFL Draft.
In 135 career games, Simpson rushed for 11,236 yards and 61 touchdowns. Not only did he earn All-Pro honors several times, he was named MVP of the league in 1973. He finished that season with over 2,000 rushing yards.
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