How Good Was OJ Simpson Actually?

RIP OJ 🙏🏾

Until someone hits 2000 yards in a 14 game season don't want to hear it .....

I remember watching OJ pass the 2000 yard mark. It was December 16, 1973. I remember the date because it was my dad's birthday. Buffalo's Offensive line was the "Electric Company", and OJ was "The Juice". Juice ran behind Joe DeLamielleure and Reggie McKenzie as guards. Oddly enough, the most rememberable OJ runs were when he would cutback across the field. He had a long stride and bent forward at the waist. He looked a bit like an animation. Dude was spectacular. ( That is no commentary on his later infamy). If you want a RB with an opposite running style for comparison, Eric Dickerson was nearly opposite in style. Dickerson ran straight up...also very fast. OJ was bent forward.

As an NFL fan in the 70's, OJ was just spectacular. When his downfall came, it was such a profound disappointment. He was just such an easy guy to love, and to root for, and to be awed by. To this day, my disappointment over all of it stays with me. He really was a great player.

OJ was the best player in the NFL for about 5 years in early and mid 70’s. He was all the Bills had and teams couldn’t stop him. Rushed for over 200 in a game against the Steelers when they didn’t give up 200 in 4 games.

Anyone who asks this question never saw the man play. I have been watching football for over 50 years and OJ was the best RB I ever saw.

Huge Bills fan. Incredible running back on a very poor Bills team. Fast and powerful runner. MVP on a 1 to 2 win season is hard to do.

I was fortunate to get to see him play in his prime, he was a great running back. I grew up during the 70s playing football and I would try to emulate his moves. To this day I think the 3 best running backs that I have ever seen were O.J., Walter Payton and Earl Campbell, you could also throw Barry Sanders in with that group as well. I did not get to see Jim Brown play, so I can't include him based upon who I watched, but clearly from a historical perspective Jim Brown was the best.

Among those of us old enough to watch OJ Simpson play live, he is remembered for being a great running back, powerful and graceful, on a relatively poor team, broke and set rushing records, and made the Hall of Fame for good reason. Period.

OJ could take it to the house anytime he had the ball in his hands

I've seen a lot of OJ content. I think you did a good job of separating his off the field issues with his football career. He was the best player in his era. He ran the ball without any threat of a passing game. Everybody in the stadium knew he was getting the ball, and the best defenses of his day still couldn't stop him.

What many people don’t realize about OJ was that added to his size (6’ 3” 225 pounds), he was one of the fastest running backs EVER. His last year at USC, he finished 4th in the U.S. Olympic trials meaning if he had not turned pro, he would have been part of the U.S. 4x100 meter relay team.

I’m from Buffalo and still to this day you hear old guys tell us he was the greatest lol. He’s one of those dudes you could drop into 2024 NFL football and he would absolutely destroy everyone.

I promise you OJ was everything during his time. He was Jim Brown and Gayle Sayers rolled into one. The critical thing is mentioned here. ... whatever you think of OJ personality, he stands up to the best running backs ever. period. He gave 1000 percent on the field -always. the narrator talks about brain damage, well OJ - for all his grace and speed - look at how tough he was with contact - fought his way through the toughest tacklers. One thing that was hilarious was his legs. ... he had skinny seemingly undeveloped legs. So when he made contact it was like a boxing match as he used his upper bady strength to fend off tacklers. When OJ went over 2000 yards for the season he did that with the last game played essentially on ice. Strangely, that game illustrated more than anything his particular genius. It turned out he was the most gifted man on the field precariously balancing himself on ice and rushing for more than 100 yards. that game and season was the equivalent of the Dolphins perfect season. forever etched in history.

Loved OJ. Read his biography back in the 70's. He was my hero!

Living in Chicago, I fervently believe that Walter Payton was the greatest all-around running back I have ever seen. But there was no running back more exciting to watch than the Juice.

You forgot his acting career. I saw him in the 70s and especially followed the 2,003 yard season. He had power and grace - an amazing athlete.

This man ran 273 yards in a single game, 2000 yards in a 14 game season the juice was a beast.

I'm 69....prime of NFL days 70's. Thanks. You did a great job here. Keep 'em comin.

As a football player, O.J. is one of the best ever. No question.