O.J. Simpson biography

Synopsis

Early Years

Orenthal James Simpson was born on July 9, 1947, in San Francisco, California. His aunt gave him the name Orenthal—supposedly the name of a French actor she liked.

At the age of 2, Simpson contracted rickets, leaving him pigeon-toed and his legs skinny and bow-legged. He had to wear a pair of shoes connected by an iron bar for a few hours almost every day until he was 5 years old. Simpson's parents separated in 1952. Along with a brother and two sisters, he was raised by his mother (his parents separated in 1952) in the rugged, largely black Potrero Hill district of San Francisco. At age 13, he joined a gang called the Persian Warriors. One fight landed him at the San Francisco Youth Guidance Center for nearly a week in 1962.

Football Career

Simpson played football at Galileo High School. And after breaking junior-college records at the City College of San Francisco, he was heavily recruited. He gained fame as a two-time All-American halfback for the USC Trojans, setting NCAA records and winning the Heisman Trophy.

Simpson joined the professional Buffalo Bills in 1969, but did not excel until the offense was tailored to showcase his running. Nicknamed "The Juice," Simpson topped 1,000 yards rushing over five consecutive years (1972–76) and led the National Football League four times. In 1973, he became the first NFL player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a single season.

Acting and Commentating Work

After completing his career with the San Francisco 49ers and retiring from professional football in 1979, Simpson moved on to a profitable career as a sportscaster and an actor. He played a man framed for murder by the police in the film The Klansman—a role that would later prove ironic for Simpson.

Simpson also appeared in the Naked Gun film comedies, playing a dim-witted assistant detective, and regularly appeared in TV commercials for the Hertz rental-car company, where he was seen leaping over luggage and other obstacles in an effort to catch a flight. Additionally, he worked as a commentator for Monday Night Football and the NFL on NBC brand.

Nicole Brown Simpson, Ronald Goldman Murders

Simpson married Marguerite L. Whitley on June 24, 1967. They had three children, including Aaren Lashone Simpson, who was born in 1977 and died in 1979—just a month before her second birthday—when she drowned in the family's swimming pool. That same year, Simpson and Marguerite divorced. While still married to his first wife, Simpson met a waitress, Nicole Brown, then just 17 years old.