(Orenthal James Simpson), 1947—, American football player, b. San Francisco. As a running back for the Univ. of Southern California, he won the Heisman Trophy as the best college player of 1968. The
"Juice"
played with the Buffalo Bills (1969—77) and San Francisco 49ers (1978—79) and rushed for 11,236 yards during his professional career. Simpson set season records (now broken) for most yards gained (2,003; 1973) and most touchdowns (23; 1975). He later became a sportscaster and actor. Charged with the brutal murder (1994) of his ex-wife and her friend, he was acquitted in 1995 after a media-saturated trial that highlighted racial tensions and divisions in American society. In 1997 a civil jury levied a huge wrongful-death award against him in a suit brought by the victims' families.
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