Orenthal James “O.J.” Simpson passed away Wednesday at age 76, having “succumbed to his battle with cancer,” his family announced in a tweet Thursday morning on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace,” the statement read.

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Simpson was one of the greatest running backs in USC football history, rushing for 1,709 yards and 22 touchdowns his senior season to win the Heisman Trophy in 1968. The Buffalo Bills then selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in the 1969 Draft months after he set what was then the NCAA single-season rushing record.

The Trojan great, nicknamed “The Juice,” went on to have a successful 11-year career in the NFL between the Bills and San Francisco 49ers, where he led the league in rushing yards for four seasons. His 1973 season — the second year in a string of five consecutive seasons where he made the Pro Bowl — was his most impressive year, totaling 2,003 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns to earn the title of Associated Press MVP.

After he retired from football, Simpson went into acting. His most popular appearances came in the three “Naked Gun” movies, where he played Officer Nordberg. 

But Simpson’s football and acting career were marred after police called for the arrest of the running back for the murders of Simpson’s ex-wife — Nicole Brown Simpson — and her friend — Ron Goldman in June 1994. Simpson then led the police on a chase in a white Ford Bronco with former Trojan Al Cowlings driving the car, while Simpson sat in the backseat of the car with a loaded handgun and threatened to end his own life.

Simpson eventually turned himself into the police but was later acquitted of the murders in 1995 after 150 million people watched the televised trial. The issue did not end there, as a civil trial quickly ensued. Simpson was found liable for the murders in 1997 and was forced to pay $33.5 million in damages to the families of Brown Simpson and Goldman.

Although he was acquitted of the murder charges, Simpson still spent nine years in prison after an armed robbery conviction in 2007. Simpson held multiple sports memorabilia dealers hostage in a Las Vegas hotel, claiming he was trying to regain items that were taken from him. He gained parole in 2017, shortening his sentence from 33 years.

Quickly, Simpson turned from one of the titular stars in the United States into one of the most infamous ones. Many met Simpson’s passing with mixed feelings: Some wanted to celebrate his football achievements, while others felt the alleged murders and 33-year conviction should be at the forefront of the conversation.

Simpson had four children — two with his first wife and two with Brown Simpson — who all survive the USC alum.