One of the best running backs in NFL history O.J. Simpson passed away at the age of 76. Surrounded by family, “Juice” fought a lot of personal battles in his life. How will we remember him is the question every human being is asking upon his passing. The rise of a great running back in college and professionally. A hard fall from grace in which divided America in the mid-1990s. However, there’s not one layer without the other.
As America decides how to remember him, my objective is to be as unbiased as possible. His rise to fame was turbulent early on in his life; an upbringing which surrounded his youth. A meeting with baseball great Willie Mays that changed his life. Football was Juice’s ticket out the projects and avoiding trouble as a young adult. Humble beginnings at Galileo Academy of Science and Technology; playing junior college football with City College of San Francisco before we knew him wearing Number 32 for University of Southern California.
Accolades in college allowed O.J. to succeed to being drafted number one overall in the 1969 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. Fame, charisma, larger than life personality and continuing his player profile grew. One of the best running backs in his era, winning MVP in 1973 while rushing for 2,000 yards in a 14 game regular season. First teams, Pro Bowls, Offensive Player of The Year. Being on the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team, NFL 75th and 100th Anniversary Team. Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame, O.J. had run his way out of the projects into NFL superstardom. All the amenities and luxuries one dreams about was on a silver platter.
His post NFL career was as dominant; a very good actor who was in the “Naked Gun” movie series, Hertz car commercials and one of the many faces of sports commentating for the NFL and college football. All seemed to be well for O.J. until that fateful afternoon as most will remember to the end of time.
O.J. found himself in one of the more racially divided double murder cases in American history. When this occurred, the black community was still reeling from the Rodney King verdict which had us in uproar and now to deal with another black man whose turbulent past came back to haunt him. June 1994 was a suspenseful movie, as America became divided on O.J. was guilty or innocent of killing then wife Nicole Brown-Simpson and Ronald Goldman.
It was breaking news with the Ford Bronco chase that NBC Sports delayed the 1994 NBA Finals game 3 between the Houston Rockets and New York Knicks from Madison Square Garden. Everyone in America was sitting glued to their televisions as we witnessed O.J. flee from the LAPD. Talk about all the emotions involved, we were all but screaming “Why O.J.?” We didn’t know all the facts, but O.J.’s fall from grace started that hot summer day in June. From there, it was “O.J.’s guilty as charged” to “Innocent until proven guilty” weighed on the conscious of America.
Considering how Rodney King’s verdict played out with the officers not guilty of beating him, black America was anxious for a better outcome with O.J. What felt like forever with the trial, O.J. was acquitted of double murder, and everyone was already to fight. To hear the acquittal brought the families of Nicole Brown-Simpson and Ronald Goldman more emotions and pain knowing O.J. was going to be a free man. To hear the words: “I’m not black; I’m O.J.” became the sticking point as to whether he cared about his character and being black in America. One
way or another, his legacy was tarnished with the trial.
More trouble followed O.J. as he was eventually sentenced for strong-arm robbery in Las Vegas, Nevada. A thirty-three sentence was paroled after nine years upon good behavior. A fresh start on life, but many still revered him as “the one who got away.” In his later years, O.J. stayed low-key, tweeting every once in a while and playing golf. “Juice” was diagnosed with cancer and showed confidence he’d run from it. Like his glory days of football, he sounded upbeat and started chemotherapy. As the news broke of his passing, many NFL players of this generation tweeted out their condolences. His former teams Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers and USC ignored his passing. The Heisman Trophy Trust is the only organization to currently express their condolences. It’s truly a legacy everyone has yet to digest for one of the best running backs in NFL history. Hall of Fame career turned public enemy number one in a matter of one fateful afternoon. However, this won’t ever be forgotten long as we walk on God’s green Earth. A legacy of greatness meshed with turbulent outcomes which divided the hearts and minds of America.
Stai tuned.
