CANTON, Ohio — O.J. Simpson, the superstar running back who was later acquitted on charges of murdering his ex-wife and her friend, died of cancer at the age of 76.
Before Simpson was charged for the 1994 murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman in what became the "trial of the century," he was one of the most beloved sports stars of his era.
Simpson won the Heisman Trophy while playing for USC in 1968, then went on to have a spectacular NFL career. Running behind the Buffalo Bills' "Electric Company" offensive line for nine of his 11 pro seasons, Simpson won four NFL rushing titles, gaining 11,236 yards in his career with 76 total touchdowns.
He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, 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. “His on-field contributions will be preserved in the Hall’s archives in Canton, Ohio.”
In 1973, Simpson broke Jim Brown's single-season rushing record, running for 2,003 yards. His 143.1 rushing yards per game that season is still the highest in NFL history. Simpson won league MVP honors that year.
“I was part of the history of the game,” he said years later, recalling that season. “If I did nothing else in my life, I’d made my mark.”
Simpson was selected to play in six Pro Bowls (1969, 1972-76) and was a first-team All-Pro selection five times (1972-76). He was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1970s, the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team and the NFL 100 All-Time Team.
After retiring from the NFL in 1979, Simpson became an actor and a broadcaster.
Simpson’s gridiron legacy was forever overshadowed by the knife slayings of his ex-wife and Goldman. A criminal court jury found him not guilty of murder, but a separate civil trial jury found him liable for the killings.
Still shadowed by the California wrongful death judgment, Simpson in 2007 led five men he barely knew into a confrontation with two sports memorabilia dealers in a cramped Las Vegas hotel room. Two men with Simpson had guns. A jury convicted Simpson of armed robbery and other felonies.
Imprisoned at age 61, he served nine years in a remote northern Nevada prison
The Associated Press contributed to this report