Photo by: Gordon Peters (The Chronicle)
O.J. Simpson, the football star from San Francisco who was acquitted in the killing of his former wife and her friend but later found responsible in a separate civil trial, died at his Las Vegas home on Wednesday. He was 76.
The cause was complications from cancer, Simpson’s family announced on social media.
Simpson’s journey began in government-subsidized housing projects of Potrero Hill, and his teen years were marred by gang involvement and minor offenses.
“I was somebody who didn’t care about anything, and the best thing you can say about me and trouble was that I was borderline,” Simpson once told the Los Angeles Times.
His exceptional athletic talent and a pivotal encounter with San Francisco Giants star Willie Mays had a major impact on him. What followed was a storied career in the NFL, playing for the Buffalo Bills and later, his hometown San Francisco 49ers.
But Simpson’s legacy took a dramatic turn following the tragic knife murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman in Los Angeles in June 1994. His life became forever marked by the notorious “trial of the century.”
Read more from Aidin Vaziri and Rachel Swan.
More:
- From Scott Ostler: Did O.J. Simpson teach us anything about the risk of sanctifying sports stars?
- From Mick LaSalle: O.J. Simpson was never a good actor, but he made the nation think he was a good guy.
- O.J. Simpson’s most notable media appearances.
Bay Briefing is written by Kellie Hwang and Anna Buchmann and sent to readers’ email inboxes on weekday afternoons. Sign up for the newsletter here, and contact the writers at kellie.hwang@sfchronicle.com and anna.buchmann@sfchronicle.com.
(SFChronicle.com)
