‘Disrespectful,’ ‘Not Fair’ — Ex-NFL Stars Take Issue With Bills’ Decision To Not Honor O.J. Simpson In New Stadium
· Yahoo Sports
Two weeks ago, Buffalo Bills president of business operations Pete Guelli revealed that O.J. Simpson would not be honored among the franchise’s legends at their new Highmark Stadium. The former running back was the first member to be inducted into the Bills’ Wall of Fame at their old stadium in 1980.
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Jarvis Landry, Leonard Fournette Blast O.J. Simpson’s Bills Exclusion
During a recent segment of the “4th and South” podcast, former NFL stars Jarvis Landry and Leonard Fournette criticized the Bills’ decision to exclude Simpson from their new stadium.
“When this man was rushing for all these damn yards, scoring all these damn touchdowns, selling jerseys, and isn’t he in the ring of honor in the old stadium?” Landry said. “Frank Gore was there as well, Shady McCoy, Marshawn Lynch was there, James Cook, Thurman Thomas… but nobody ran that ball like O.J. If there’s anybody that needs to be on the ring of honor, especially in the new stadium, you know what I mean, I feel like it’s O.J.
“Obviously, all the things that happened off the field probably is playing into the narrative of why he’s not going into the ring of honor. But, I think it’s not fair to O.J. Simpson and his estate and the type of equity that he put into the Bills. He was running that thing, bro. Ain’t too many running backs ever ran it like him. So, I think it’s a narrative thing.”
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Despite his off-field issues, Simpson’s name remained etched on the Bills’ Wall of Fame at their old stadium.
Simpson was implicated in the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman in 1994, kickstarting the trial of the century when he was charged in 1994. He was ultimately acquitted of all charges, but a civil court found him liable for wrongful death two years later.
“To me, I think it’s disrespectful,” Fournette said. “It’s always a narrative thing. It’s all about how you represent not just yourself, but something big that you’re a part of outside of football.
“And it’s definitely played its part. I wish, and I hope that somehow that they rethink that stuff and put him in the stadium. Even though it’s out of our context, it’s out of our hands, but do right by the man.”
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The Bills selected Simpson No. 1 overall in the 1969 NFL/AFL Draft, and he established himself as one of the best running backs in league history. He became the first player in league history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season, earning the NFL’s MVP Award in 1973.
In addition, he earned five consecutive first-team All-Pro nods and Pro Bowl selections, leading the league in rushing touchdowns twice and rushing yards four times. Despite being one of the most infamous figures in NFL history, Simpson remains in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.