OJLF: O.J. Life
Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson (born July 9, 1947) (also known by his
nickname, The Juice) is a retired American football player who achieved stardom
at the collegiate and professional levels. He later worked as an actor,
spokesperson and broadcaster.
The first NFL player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season, Simpson is
infamous for having been tried for the murder of ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson
and her friend Ronald Goldman in 1994. He was acquitted in criminal court in
1995 after a lengthy, highly publicized trial (often called the "Trial of the
Century" in America). In 1997, Simpson was found liable for their deaths in
civil court, but to date has paid little of the $33.5 million judgment. He
gained further notoriety in late 2006 when he wrote a book titled If I Did It,
withdrawn by the publisher just before its release, which purports to be a
first-person fictional account of the murder had he actually committed it.
Biography
Early life
Simpson was born in San Francisco, California to Eunice Durden (October 23,
1921–November 9, 2001) and James "Jimmy" Lee Simpson (January 28, 1920–June 9,
1986); his maternal grandparents were from Louisiana. His aunt gave him the name
Orenthal, which supposedly was the name of a French actor she liked. His parents
were separated in 1952. Simpson has one brother: Melvin Leon "Truman" Simpson,
and two sisters: Shirley Simpson-Baker and Carmelita Simpson-Durio. In his
childhood, Simpson fought off a great deal of adversity. From ages three to
five, he had to wear homemade braces after contracting rickets. In 1960, he
joined the Persian Warriors, a San Francisco street gang, and was incarcerated
at the San Francisco Youth Guidance Center in 1962.
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 Colleges 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. Simpson earned
an athletic scholarship to the University of Southern California where he played
running back for the University of Southern California in 1967 and 1968. Simpson
led the nation in rushing. With 1,451 yards and 11 touchdowns in 1967 he was on
his way to becoming the greatest. He was a Heisman Trophy candidate and a star
in the 1967 USC vs. UCLA football game. His 64 yard touchdown run in the 4th
quarter tied the game, with the PAT the margin of victory. This was the biggest
play in what is regarded as one of the greatest football games of the 20th
century.
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. Simpson also won the Walter Camp Award in 1967 and was a
two-time All-American.
