1968 Heisman Trophy winner O.J. Simpson from USC.
1968 Heisman Winner O.J. Simpson Of USC Dies At 76
O.J. Simpson, the 1968 Heisman Trophy winner from USC, died in Las Vegas on Wednesday (April 10) after a battle with cancer. He was 76.
Simpson became USC’s second Heisman Trophy winner as a 1968 senior, rushing for 1,709 yards on an NCAA-record 334 carries while scoring 22 touchdowns, leading the Trojans to a 9-0-1 record.
Simpson won the 1968 Heisman by a then-record margin of 1,750 points.
A San Francisco native, Simpson transferred to USC in 1967 after two years as a running back at City College of San Francisco.
He led the nation in rushing as a first-year Trojan with 1,543 yards while scoring 13 touchdowns to help lead USC to a 10-1 record and the national title. He finished second as a junior in the 1967 Heisman balloting behind UCLA’s Gary Beban.
In his 22-game USC career, Simpson gained 3,423 yards and scored 36 touchdowns playing for teams that went a combined 19-2-1 while winning a national title and two Pac-8 crowns. He also threw three touchdown passes.