Yesterday we looked at one of the NFL’s greatest linebackers but he got his start in State College, Pennsylvania. Let’s go across the country to one of the NFL’s greatest running backs of all time.
Orenthal James Simpson grew up in San Francisco, California where he attended Galileo High School. O.J. was a phenomenal player but his grades just didn’t CUT it to get into a high level University and play college football.
He attended City College of San Francisco where he made a GASH, I mean splash on both sides of the ball. After becoming a JUCO All American and winning the Prune Bowl, Simpson became a huge recruit.
The Juice attended USC, the school that he loved growing up. Simpson played from 1967 to 1968 under John McKay.
O.J. really was one of the best backs in his two seasons with the Trojans. The Juice really knew how to SLICE and DICE on the field. In 1967, O.J. rushed for over fifteen hundred yards and thirteen touchdowns.
Following his great 1967 campaign, the Juice was named All American, won the Walter Camp Award, and was a huge reason why the Trojans won the 1967 National Title. He was also a close runner up to the Heisman Trophy.
In 1968, O.J. CARVED up opposing defenses as he tallied twenty three touchdowns on the carpet and rushed for just south of nineteen hundred yards. He also caught twenty six passes but the receiving game wasn’t his strong suit. Some would say that it was the only WOUND in his game.
That season, Simpson was named to his second All American team and won the Maxwell Award. He also was able to MINCE the competition and win the Heisman Trophy that.
Simpson was selected number one overall in 1969 by the Bills where he spent the bulk of his career. The Juice was able to LACERATE defenses like none other as he rushed for over two thousand yards in 1973.
Other than that, Simpson was pretty quiet off the field and never had any big blow ups off the field.
Tomorrow we highlight another Penn State linebacker that has helped the case for Penn State to win the title of LBU.