Is O.J. Simpson in the Hall of Fame? Revisiting RB's football career, stats with USC, Bills

O.J. Simpson died Thursday due to cancer, his family announced on social media. He was 76.

Simpson's legacy will forever be remembered for the murder trial of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman, at a condo in Los Angeles. He was acquitted in the murder trial, which was widely publicized, and to this day, many are still divided over whether he committed the crime. Years later, he would also be arrested for armed robbery and kidnapping in 2007, and was sentenced to 33 years in prison in 2008 before he was ultimately released in 2017 and released from parole in 2021.

What complicates the legacy of Simpson and part of what made the murder trial so high profile was his stature in American culture. He was a star football player both in college and then in the NFL, and was a popular player among football fans, who nicknamed him, "Juice," both for his name being O.J. and for him playing behind the Buffalo offensive line nicknamed, "The Electric Company."

Sporting News is looking back at his football career, from his time at USC to the end of his playing days with the 49ers.

Is O.J. Simpson in the Hall of Fame?

Simpson is in both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He won a litany of awards during his career, including the Heisman Trophy, Sporting News Player of the Year, NFL Offensive Player of the Year and NFL MVP.

Despite the murder trial and armed robbery conviction, Simpson's place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame has long been considered secure due to the policy that only on-field considerations are taken into account, a sentiment re-affirmed by the hall's president, Jim Porter, in a statement following Simpson's death.

Statement from Pro Football Hall of Fame President Jim Porter:
“OJ Simpson was the first player to reach a rushing mark many thought could not be attained in a 14-game season when he topped 2,000 yards.His on-field contributions will be preserved in the Hall’s archives in Canton"

— Jonathan Jones (@jjones9) April 11, 2024

O.J. Simpson college stats

Simpson initially went to college at the City College of San Francisco, where he spent two years playing running back and junior college. He then transferred to USC ahead of his junior year.

His first year with the Trojans proved Simpson was college football's most explosive ball-carrier. He led the nation with 1,415 rushing yards, scoring 11 touchdowns on 266 attempts. Simpson was named an All-American and finished second in Heisman Trophy voting to UCLA quarterback Gary Beban.

Simpson's play in 1967 was considered legendary, with an oil painting, "O.J. Simpson Breaks for Daylight" by Arnold Friberg being composed to recognize his play in USC's 21-20 win over UCLA, considered by many to be among college football's greatest games. During the campaign, Simpson also helped lead USC to a national championship in the Rose Bowl win against Indiana.

Somehow, Simpson managed to one-up his 1967 season with a historic encore performance in 1968. Simpson posted 1,709 rushing yards and scored 22 touchdowns on the ground en route to winning the 1968 Heisman Trophy by the largest margin in the award's history at the time.

The Trojans were undefeated going into the Rose Bowl, where they faced No. 1 Ohio State. The Buckeyes won 27-16 to be named consensus national champions despite 171 rushing yards from Simpson.

O.J. Simpson NFL stats

The Bills selected Simpson first overall in the 1969 NFL Draft, and he was the immediate starter at running back for Buffalo. He started 13 games, and though the rushing numbers weren't overly impressive — 697 yards, two touchdowns — he still tallied over 1,000 yards from scrimmage with 343 receiving yards. He was named to a Pro Bowl and finished fourth in AFL Rookie of the Year voting.

The next two seasons from Simpson were quiet as he came in under 1,000 scrimmage yards both campaigns. ESPN reported coaches John Rauch and Harvey Johnson were hesitant to style Buffalo's offense around Simpson.

That changed when Lou Saban took over. Simpson burst onto the scene with a huge season in 1972, Saban's first year as the head coach, when he led the league with 1,251 rushing yards on 292 carries. He was named a Pro Bowler, finished third in MVP voting and second in Offensive Player of the Year voting.

The 1973 campaign was one for the ages. Simpson led the NFL in rushing attempts (332), rushing touchdowns (12) and rushing yards (2,003), the latter of which set the NFL record for single-season rushing yards and made him the first player ever to eclipse 2,000 yards in a season.

For the campaign, Simpson won the NFL MVP and Offensive Player of the Year, and was named to his second straight Pro Bowl and First-Team All-Pro honors.

Simpson's run of remarkable seasons continued. He recorded his third straight 1,000-yard season in 1974 and again led the league in carries with 270 despite being hampered by injuries. The next season, he led the NFL again in rushing yards (1,817), rushing touchdowns (16) and carries (329) and finished as the runner-up in both MVP and Offensive Player of the Year voting. 

In 1976, Simpson's 1,503 rushing yards led the NFL, his fourth time leading the league in yardage on the ground, with 290 carries and eight rushing touchdowns. That season also featured a 273-yard rushing performance by Simpson on Thanksgiving, which set the single-game rushing record. For the season, he was named First-Team All-Pro for the fifth straight year and earned his fifth consecutive Pro Bowl nod.

Simpson played in only seven games for the Bills in 1977 as he again battled injuries, and following the campaign, he was traded to the 49ers for second- and third-round picks in 1978, first- and fourth-round picks in 1979 and a second-round pick in 1980. Those players wound up being EDGE Scott Hutchinson, wide receiver Danny Fulton, linebacker Tom Cousineau, EDGE Ken Johnson and running back Joe Cribbs.

The move for the hometown star did not work out for San Francisco. Simpson rushed for only 593 yards in 10 games in 1978, then had only 460 yards in 13 games in 1979, combining for fewer yards in his two 49ers seasons than he had in his last healthy season with Buffalo of 1976.

Simpson retired following the 1979 season. At the time of his retirement, only Jim Brown (12,312) had more career rushing yards than Simpson with 11,236. During the 1970s, Simpson had 10,539 rushing yards. The next closest player was Franco Harris with 8,563, just under 2,000 fewer yards than Simpson, according to Stathead.