Actors - O. J. Simpson

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	Actors - O. J. Simpson

Orenthal James Simpson (born July 9, 1947 in San Francisco, California), publicly known by the initials O.J., and nicknamed The Juice, was a Hall of Fame former college and professional football player and film actor. Although considered to be one of the greatest running backs of all time, Simpson is now best known for being charged with the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman in 1994. He was acquitted in criminal court in 1995 after the lengthy, highly publicized Trial of the Century, but was found liable and responsible for their deaths in civil court in 1997.

Football career

High school

While attending Galileo High School in San Francisco, Simpson played for the school's football team, the Galileo Lions.

College

After originally playing in Junior College at the City College of San Francisco, his talent landed him at the University of Southern California (USC) and won him the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, the nickname "The Juice", and the distinction of being the first player selected in the 1969 professional football draft after winning the Heisman Trophy.

NFL

Simpson was selected by the American Football League's Buffalo Bills, who held the first selection in the draft after finishing 1-12-1 in 1968 - the worst record in professional football. Early in his NFL career, Simpson struggled on the poor Buffalo teams averaging only 642 yards per season. He first rushed for 1,000 yards in 1972. In 1973 Simpson ran for a then-record 2,003 yards, becoming the first player ever to eclipse the 2,000 yard mark, and was voted the league's Most Valuable Player. Although his 2,003 yard season has subsequently been eclipsed by four running backs, only Barry Sanders managed to match Simpson by rushing for 2,000 or more yards in 14 games (Weeks 3-16 of the 1997 season; including Weeks 1 & 2, Sanders rushed for 2,053 yards. Eric Dickerson holds the 16-game season and overall records with 2,105 yards rushing in 1984).

Simpson's yards per game average was ten yards higher than that of the closest competitor. "The Juice" powered one of the league's top rushing offenses, and ran behind the famed "Electric Company" offensive line. His 1973 performance earned him the Hickok Belt as top professional athlete of the year. Over his career, Simpson ran for an NFL record 6 200-yard games, three of which occurred in 1973. He also had back-to-back 200 yard performances in both 1973 and 1976.

Simpson went on to earn All-Pro honors five times. He finished his 11-year careed in 1979 with 11,236 rushing yards, 203 receptions for 2,142 receiving yards, and 75 touchdowns(61 rushing and 14 receiving). After being traded to the San Francisco 49ers in 1978, Simpson retired from the NFL the following year, and on January 23, 1985 became the first Heisman Trophy winner elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is a member of the Bills' Wall of Fame.

Away from football but within sports, he won the 1975 American Superstars competition.

Family life

Simpson has eight siblings named George, Sue, Emily, Abraham, Kyra, Kirsten, Bryant, and Jim.

In his childhood, O.J. fought off a great deal of adversity. From ages three to five, he had to wear homemade braces after contracting rickets. In 1960, he joined the Persian Warriors, a San Francisco street gang, and was even incarcerated at the San Francisco Youth Guidance Center in 1962.

On June 24, 1967 Simpson married Marguerite L. Whitley. Together they had three children: Arnelle L. Simpson (born December 4, 1968), Jason L. Simpson (born April 21, 1970) and Aaren Lashone Simpson (born September 24, 1977). In 1979, Aaren drowned in the family's swimming pool a month before her second birthday. That same year Simpson and Marguerite were divorced.

On February 2, 1985 Simpson married Nicole Brown. They had two children, Sydney Brooke Simpson (born October 17, 1985) and Justin Ryan Simpson (born August 6, 1988), and were divorced in 1992. As of March 7, 2006, OJ Simpson is the father of Jessebelle Susie Parket Jr. The mother is still unknown.

Acting

After his retirement from football, Simpson went on to a successful film career with parts in films such as the television mini-series Roots, and the motion pictures The Cassandra Crossing
, Capricorn One
, The Towering Inferno, and The Naked Gun
trilogy. Simpson was considered for the lead role in The Terminator
, before it was decided audiences might not accept him as a villain. Claims were, that O.J. was too "nice" for the role of the cold endoskeleton cyborg known as the Terminator.

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for O. J. Simpson ]

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