5 Random Things About O.J. Simpson

Before becoming notorious for murdering his wife and her friend (allegedly), O.J. Simpson was one of the best running backs of all time. Here are 5 random facts about his life before everything went horribly, horribly wrong.

1. Orenthal James Simpson was born on July 9, 1947 in San Francisco, California. Supposedly, his aunt gave him the name Orenthal because it was the name of one of her favorite French actors. However, this has not been verified, and a Google search for “french actor Orenthal” only returns stories about O.J.’s aunt.
2. O.J. Simpson started his collegiate career at City College of San Francisco, where he was a junior college standout. After his sophomore season, the University of Southern California offered him a scholarship, and he played running back there in 1967 and 1968. He led the NCAA in rushing in both years and won the Heisman Trophy in 1968. Simpson won the Heisman by 1,750 votes, which remains the most lopsided Heisman vote in history.
3. O.J. Simpson was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in 1968. His first 3 seasons were unremarkable, only averaging 622 yards per season. In 1972, Simpson had a breakout season, when he rushed for 1,251 yards. The following season, Simpson became the first player to rush for more than 2,000 yards, when he rushed for 2,003 in 1973. O.J. Simpson was the most prolific running back of the 1970s, and was named to the Pro Bowl six times.
4. O.J. Simpson retired from football in 1979. At that time, he had the 2nd highest career rushing yard total in the NFL (as of this writing, he is 17th). Since his retirement, four players have rushed for over 2,000 yards in a single season. However, Simpson remains the only NFL player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a 14-game season (the NFL extended the season to 16 games in 1978).
5. O.J. Simpson had a fairly prolific acting career, with credits dating all the way back to 1968, his senior year at USC.  He had a couple of stints as an announcer on Monday Night Football, and also hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live in 1978. However, his most famous role is Detective Norberg in the Naked Gun series.

Bonus: Prior to being charged with murder in the 1994 killing of his estranged wife, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman, O.J. Simpson had no prior arrest record. However, since that time, Simpson has had several run-ins with the law, and is currently serving a nine-year sentence in Nevada for armed robbery and kidnapping.

Remember when O.J. Simpson was the good guy? This Naked Gun gift set should jog your memory.

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