Buffalo Bills: 30 greatest players in franchise history
O.J. Simpson. 3. player. 16. . Running Back. 1969-77
There are many reasons you may hate O.J. Simpson as a person. However today, I’m setting all of that aside and focusing solely on the football. In terms of his talents on the field, “The Juice” was one of the greatest to ever wear a Bills uniform — without question.
His career didn’t get off a smoking hot start. Although he enjoyed success during his first three years in Buffalo, Simpson didn’t truly get going until his fourth year with the Bills. From there, it was nothing but stardom for the USC product.
From 1972 to 1976, Simpson put together one of the most dominant stretches we’ve ever seen from an NFL running back. During that time, he made five-straight Pro Bowls and All-Pro teams, won the NFL MVP award (1973), put together an elusive 2,000-yard season, led the league in rushing four times and once led the league in points scored.
Yes, Simpson was that good. His legacy would be all the more illustrious if he hadn’t gone and smeared mud all over it. That conversation is for a different forum though.
Put simply, Simpson was a generational talent during his prime. There weren’t many better performances by NFL running backs than his 1973 and 1975 seasons, during which he adamantly proclaimed himself as one of the greatest runners to ever grace the gridiron.