Heisman Trophy Winners: Top 20 NFL careers of all time
If you’re not exactly sure how to think of former USC star and Heisman-winning running back O.J. Simpson, join the club. Simpson is one of the most controversial athletes of all time because of his alleged involvement in the murder of his wife in which he was found not guilty. No matter the ruling, people always tie his name to ‘criminal’ whether it’s fair or not.
On the football side of things, people seem to forget he was one of the best running backs in league history. Playing his college ball at USC in 1967 and 1968, Simpson rushed for 3,423 yards and 36 touchdowns. He won the Heisman in 1968 and was subsequently selected No. 1 overall in the 1969 NFL Draft.
Simpson didn’t take off with the Buffalo Bills right away, however, as he averaged just 622 yards and four touchdowns in his first three years, but he eventually broke out as one of the game’s most exciting players.
In his fourth season, Simpson recorded his first 1,000-yard campaign, finishing with 1,251 yards and six touchdowns. He then became the fastest player to ever reach 1,000 yards the next year, doing so in seven games and finishing with 2,003 yards in just 14 contests. Simpson was selected to six Pro Bowls, five first-team All-Pros, he was a four-time rushing champ, NFL MVP and 1985 Hall of Fame inductee. He finished his career with 11,236 rushing yards and 61 touchdowns over 11 seasons.
Next: 3. Roger Staubach, Navy