O. J. Simpson was a leading man in field, film, and felonies—with breakout football success, movie and marketing fame, and a notorious 1995 trial. The 76-year-old died Wednesday after a brief battle with prostate cancer.
A post shared by his family on X, formerly known as Twitter, Thursday morning announced his passing; the news of his sudden death has brought Simpson’s life, a unique series of highs and lows, into the spotlight once again.
On June 12, 1994, O. J. Simpson’s ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson, along with her friend Ronald Goldman, were found stabbed to death outside her home in Los Angeles. Five days later, the former football star was arrested following a police chase that left much of America in shock.
“[The] guy who stars in comedies, in movies and Hertz ads, and [who] was this great football player,” said Judy Muller, a professor of journalism at USC and a reporter on The People v. O. J. Simpson trial. “This is like arresting Donald Duck, what are you doing?”
Simpson was eventually charged with the murder of his former wife and her friend, feeding into the media frenzy surrounding the ordeal.
“This case was a major spectacle,” Muller said. “I believe the O. J. Simpson case and trials were very, very, very important. They held up a mirror, albeit a cracked mirror, to America.”
Following his trial, the media attention only grew for Simpson. This became especially apparent as the USC Law Center “dominated analysis of the trial,” according to a 1995 article from the University of Southern California Chronicle. With no shortage of television specials, films, books, and more covering the life and trial of the American superstar, Simpson’s story would forever be ingrained in popular culture — from his meteoric rise to his controversial fall.
That rise started at USC.
O. J. Simpson, commonly referred to as “The Juice,” was born in San Francisco on July 9, 1947. As a child, he wore leg braces for several years due to rickets, a calcium deficiency. However, he outgrew his disability, turning to football at 15. Simpson would begin his collegiate career in the sport at San Francisco City College in 1966, before transferring to USC in 1967. At USC, he would eventually become a record breaker, lead the Trojans to the 1968 Rose Bowl game, and win the 1968 Heisman trophy.
“OJ Simpson was like the football star of the United States. [He was the] quarterback at USC. He was the Heisman Trophy winner — he was amazing,” Muller said.
An excerpt from one 1968 article from the Daily Trojan makes USC’s view of Simpson at the time clear: “The student body, the Trojan team, the coaches, and all those who have known him will agree. O.J. has been the good guy for Troy for two years.”
Today, almost 30 years after his country-shaking trial, Simpson’s reputation around the University’s campus has dramatically changed. His success on the football field alongside numerous other accolades have been pushed to the side.
“I definitely forgot about that [his football career] just because of his criminal record, basically. And I think that he goes under wraps here athletically, we don’t really pay respect to him as an athlete here anymore,” said junior communications major Mia Triolo. “I don’t really care, you know, the devil got him.”
Although Simpson is still a member of the USC Athletic Hall of Fame, along with having his jersey on display in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, many are unable to look past his decisions off the field.
As of Thursday evening, USC has yet to comment on the death of the former university superstar.