OJ Simpson

 No matter what you think,  if he done it or not, he was acquitted!  LONG before the Bronco chase gripped a national television audience and the “Trial of the Century” captivated the country, OJ Simpson was making his mark on the football field and television.

The Juice was the best running back of his era during an 11-year NFL career mostly played with the Buffalo Bills. Everybody tuned in on Sundays to watch ” The Juice-No. 32,.”  He won a national championship and a Heisman Trophy in college and set records in the NFL and became one of the first Blacks to get commercials running through airports as a Hertz spokesman.  Simpson also was the first to be a Sports analyst on a network.  But Simpson’s accomplishments on the field were overshadowed and his image was forever ruined by alleged charges that he killed his former wife and her male friend in 1994. Though he was acquitted of murder,  the acquittal set the country into a racial divide. Blacks and Whites were at war with the decision. Simpson was later found liable for the deaths in a separate civil case.

The verdict tarnished Simpson’s  legacy that resulted in a muted reaction to the news of his death last Thursday. He wasn’t acknowledged publicly by the NFL, the Bills or the San Francisco 49ers, where he played his final two seasons. An ill-advised Caitlin Jenner tweeted “Good Riddance” which sparked an outcry by Nightcap Shannon “Unc”  Sharp and Chad “Ocho”  Johnson stating “foul”.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame issued a statement attributed to its President Jim Porter that said: “OJ 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. His on-field contributions will be preserved in the Hall’s archives in Canton, Ohio.”

Simpson’s name remains on the Bills’ Wall of Fame, which rings the inside of Highmark Stadium, known as Rich Stadium during his playing days. That could change in a few years when the Bills move into a new stadium set to open across the street in 2026. Fans previously petitioned the team to remove Simpson’s name from the wall.

Otherwise, there are very few reminders of Simpson’s time playing in Buffalo. No statues. Many of his teammates and friends have moved away or died.