Buffalo Bills fans may notice a significant absence at the new stadium. The recently completed $2.1 billion Highmark Stadium, a construction project that spanned three years, honors the team’s history with a Wall of Fame. However, former running back O.J. Simpson will not be featured, as announced by NBC affiliate WGRZ.
Pete Guelli, the Bills’ president of business operations, explained, “We have made an organizational decision that he is not a fit to display inside our new stadium and family circle,” according to WGRZ.
Simpson was the Bills’ No.1 draft pick in 1969 and played nine of his eleven NFL seasons with the team. He made history as the first player in the NFL to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season, earning him the reputation of being the top running back of his era. After his retirement from football, he enjoyed a career in broadcasting.
Simpson’s legacy took a dramatic turn in the 1990s. In 1994, the deaths of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman shocked the nation. Police discovered a trail of blood from Simpson’s car to his residence when they attempted to question him. Simpson’s later flight from authorities led to a widely televised car chase through Southern California.
During what became the “Trial of the Century,” Simpson was acquitted of the murder charges in 1995. The trial captivated the nation. Opinions were divided, with some pointing to evidence suggesting racial bias in the Los Angeles Police Department, while others believed Simpson’s wealth played a role in his acquittal. Despite being found not guilty in criminal court, he was found liable for the deaths in a subsequent civil trial initiated by Ronald Goldman’s father.
Simpson’s reputation suffered further in 2008 when he was convicted of armed robbery related to a sports memorabilia incident in Las Vegas. He claimed it was an effort to recover items stolen from him. Simpson was sentenced to nine to 33 years but served the minimum term before being paroled. He passed away from cancer at the age of 76.