O.J. Simpson died on Wednesday at the age of 76 and although he leaves behind a complicated legacy, he will always be a Pro Football Hall of Famer.
The former Bills running back was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985 and he was never removed from the Hall, despite facing some serious legal issues after his induction. The reason Simpson’s bust is still in Canton, Ohio, is because the Hall of Fame won’t remove any player under any circumstance.
“Once elected, nothing in the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s bylaws allows for the removal of a Hall member,” the HOF stated in 2020.
Simpson was voted into the Hall of Fame after putting together one of the most impressive rushing careers in NFL history. After being selected by the Bills with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1969 NFL Draft, Simpson went on to lead the league in rushing four times in 11 years while also being name NFL MVP once (1973).
His career actually got off to a slow start — he averaged just 642.3 rushing yards per season during his first three years — but he broke out in 1972 after Lou Saban took over Buffalo’s head coach.
Simpson led the NFL in rushing with 1,251 yards during his first year with Saban and then he topped that in 1973 by becoming the first running back to crack the 2,000-yard mark. The most impressive part about Simpson’s MVP season in 1973 is that he rushed for 2,003 yards at a time when the NFL’s regular season was just 14 games long. His 143.1 yards per game still ranks as the highest rushing average in NFL history.
To put Simpson’s performance in perspective, no other running back even rushed for 1,150 yards in 1973.
Hall of Fame President Jim Porter released a statement after Simpson’s death was announced on Thursday.
“O.J. 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,” said…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/o-j-simpson-dies-why-nfl-legend-never-got-removed-from-pro-football-hall-of-fame-despite-his-legal-troubles/
Author : John Breech
Publish date : 2024-04-11 16:44:04
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