This season, the Buffalo Bills will begin play in their new facility, Highmark Stadium, which will include the Wall of Fame, which began in 1980. However, its inaugural member will not be honored in the new facility.
O.J. Simpson, who played for the Bills from 1969 to 1977, was the first overall pick in 1969, and in 1973, the Running Back would become the first player in league history to exceed 2,000 Rushing Yards in a season. That season, Simpson won the MVP and the Offensive Player of the Year. He was also a five-time First Team All-Pro, a five-time Pro Bowl selection, and a four-time rushing leader, and in 1985, he entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
Simpson went on to become a star in movies and television, but he was charged with the murder of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ronald Goldman, in 1994. While he was found not guilty, he was held liable in a civil suit. At the time, there was pressure on the organization to remove Simpson from the Wall of Fame, but the team kept his name on display. This will not be the case in Highmark Stadium.
In a statement from COO Pete Guelli, he said that Simpson’s removal from the physical Wall of Fame was:
“We have made an organizational decision that he is not a fit to display inside our new stadium and family circle.”
Specifically, the Family Circle will be a year-round plaza outside the stadium’s entrance where the plaques honoring the greats will be displayed.
Notably, Simpson is still recognized as a member of the Wall of Fame on the team’s website.
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