The late OJ Simpson will not be a part of the Buffalo Bills' plans as the team moves into its new home, Highmark Stadium.
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The Bills cut the ribbon on the new NFL stadium on Tuesday and officially kicked off the team's new era. Fans had the opportunity to see the $2.1 billion facility in person, which took more than 5,000,000 labor hours to build.
This facility will feature an area dedicated to team history, the Family Circle. This year-round section will feature three large bison statues and plaques honoring franchise legends. This group will not include Simpson, the first player inducted into the team's Wall of Fame.
"We have made an organizational decision that he is not a fit to display inside our new stadium and family circle." Pete Guelli, chief operating officer for the Bills, said in a statement.
Simpson, the first overall pick in the 1969 NFL Draft, delivered success to the Bills over nine seasons. He led the NFL in rushing four times and touchdowns two times.
He rushed for more than 2,000 yards during the 1973 season, and he earned six trips to the Pro Bowl. He won MVP during the 1973 season, and he ended his career as a Hall of Famer.
However, the story changed in 1994 with the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ron Goldman in Los Angeles.
A jury found Simpson not guilty after a highly publicized trial, but a civil trial jury later ordered him to more than $33 million to the families of Goldman and Brown.
Additionally, Simpson also spent nearly a decade in prison for his role in a 2007 Las Vegas armed robbery involving sports memorabilia. He was sentenced in 2008 to 33 years in prison, but he was paroled in 2017.
The former Buffalo Bills running back died on April 10, 2024, at the age of 76 after a battle with prostate cancer.
