USC Football: Reliving O. J. Simpson’s storied Trojan career
After O. J. Simpson was granted parole from prison for a Las Vegas robbery case, lets revisit the two years at USC that turned The Juice into the top pick in the 1969 NFL Draft.
On July 20th 2017 O. J. Simpson was granted parole from prison for his involvement in a 2007 armed robbery in Las Vegas Nevada.
Even though O. J. Simpson is an incredibly polarizing public figure, he remains deeply relevant today through the likes of the Academy Award winning ESPN documentary “O. J.: Made in America” and the 2016 FX docu-series “American Crime Story: The People v. O. J. Simpson”.
But before all of the movies, trials and tribulations, O. J. Simpson came to national prominence as one of the greatest running backs in College Football history. After he jump-started his career at City College of San Francisco, Simpson became one of the most in-demand recruits in the nation. O. J. decided to take his services to the University of Southern California, and play for then head coach John McKay.
And O. J. brought the juice.
An incredible collegiate career
In his first season on campus, Simpson lead the nation in rushing by gaining 1,534 yards and 13 touchdowns on 291 carries. His 5.3 yards per attempt helped carry the Trojans to the 1967 national championship game, a January 1st bout against Purdue at the Rose Bowl. USC beat Purdue 14-3 largely on the back of an outstanding performance by O. J., who rushed for 128 yards and 2 touchdowns on 25 carries.
Simpson’s monster season lead him to be named the first ever Walter Camp Award winner for the best collegiate football player of the year. After such an impressive season in 1967, O. J. backed it up with an even better season in 1968.
Simpson again lead the nation by rushing for a then-NCAA record 1,880 yards and 23 touchdowns on 383 carries. His 170 yards per game average helped the Trojans go 9-0-1 in the regular season and again become eligible for the 1969 Rose Bowl, this time against Ohio State.
In the game, Simpson rushed for 171 yards, including an incredibly 80 yard touchdown, but also turned the ball over twice in a 27-16 loss to the Buckeyes. While the season ultimately ended on a sour note for O. J., he was without a doubt the best player in the nation.
Success beyond school
For his dominance in 1968, O. J. was awarded with the Heisman Trophy, college football’s highest honor, and his second consecutive Walter Camp Award. Simpson was unanimously considered the best prospect in the nation, and was selected number one overall in the 1969 NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills.
Simpson would go on to have a prolific NFL career that culminated in a bust in the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton Ohio. He was the first player to ever rush for 2,000 yards in a single season and ultimately went to fivePro Bowls and was named the 1973 NFL MVP.
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O. J.’s athletic domination and winning personality made him an incredibly popular figure not only on the field, but off it. Simpson parlayed his football dominance into a successful career as an actor and public figure, but none of O. J.’s influence on the pop culture lexicon would have been possible without his brilliant career at USC.