O.J. Simpson dies of cancer at 76

O.J. Simpson, a Pro Football Hall of Fame running back who was accused of, and ultimately acquitted, in the 1994 killings of his former wife and her friend in "The Trial of the Century," has died after a battle with cancer. He was 76.

Simpson died Wednesday, his family announced on social media.

"On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer," the family wrote on Simpson's official X (formerly Twitter) account. "He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace."

Simpson, a San Francisco native, was an All-American at Southern California.

He played for the Buffalo Bills, who drafted him with the No. 1 overall pick in 1969, and was a five-time All-Pro in his nine seasons there. He was named NFL MVP in 1973 after becoming the first player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season, doing so during a 14-game season.

Simpson concluded his career with two seasons as a member of the 49ers, then transitioned to a career as an actor, commercial pitchman and broadcaster before his arrest. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

But Simpson leaves an off-field legacy that is marred by legal troubles. That legacy includes his trial in the deaths of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald L. Goldman, a multimillion-dollar verdict against him in a civil suit, and his conviction of armed robbery and kidnapping that ultimately saw him serve nine years at Lovelock (Nev.) Correctional Center.

On June 12, 1994, after the bodies of Brown Simpson and Goldman were found outside her condo in the Brentwood section of Los Angeles, Simpson quickly became a person of interest. He became a fugitive of the law and led police on a low-speed chase in a white Ford Bronco driven by friend and former NFL player Al Cowlings on June 17 before his arrest.

Simpson's criminal trial began in January 1995 and featured his "legal dream team," headlined by the late Johnnie Cochran against lead prosecutor Marcia Clark. The trial spanned months and touched across racial lines throughout America before the jury came back with a verdict on Oct. 3: not guilty.

However, in a civil lawsuit, Simpson was found liable for $33.5 million in a wrongful death case filed by Goldman's family. While the Goldmans never received close to that amount, the sale of Simpson's 1968 Heisman Trophy for $230,000 was put toward the debt.

Simpson stayed largely out of the public eye, initially living in Florida, until he was put on trial again in 2008, this time after he and another man were accused of robbing two sports memorabilia dealers at gunpoint in their hotel room. Simpson contended that the items previously had been stolen from him, however he was convicted of 12 counts of armed robbery and kidnapping and sentenced to up to 33 years in prison. He was granted parole in July 2017 and released on Oct. 1, 2017.

He lived the rest of his life in Las Vegas, where TMZ reported Thursday that Simpson died.

Simpson is survived by four children.

--Field Level Media via REUTERS