Bills Spark Debate After Not Honoring OJ Simpson In New Stadium

OJ Simpson’s complicated legacy as a legendary running back versus his murder trial has once again clashed.

The Buffalo Bills are in the midst of changing their home field from Ralph Wilson Stadium to the newly opened Highmark Stadium.

And since the new digs have only been open for a month, they’re still getting some of the details right, and that includes honoring some of the Bills’ biggest stars of the past. 

Simpson is one of those stars, but the franchise has chosen to leave him out of the new stadium’s “family circle” history exhibit tribute, and the Buffalo community and fans are protesting his exclusion.

A Change.org petition has even been created and, at the time of publication, has over 1,400 signatures from those who believe his accomplishments should be recognized at Highmark Stadium. 

“It’s important to remember that history, in all its forms, must be preserved. Regardless of later personal controversies, the impact O.J. Simpson had on the sport and the team is undeniable,” the petition reads. “During his tenure with the Bills, Simpson not only achieved greatness with individual accolades such as the MVP award and multiple rushing titles, but he also elevated the Buffalo Bills to a position of national prominence.”

Former Erie County legislator Betty Jean Grant was among those in disagreement with the Bills, noting that Simpson was never found guilty of killing his ex-wife, Nicole Brown, and his name remained in the old stadium.

In fact, Simpson was the first inductee into the Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame when he was enshrined as the inaugural member in 1980.

“When the jury acquitted him, the issue was not raised to take his name off, as they should not have,” Grant said, according to Spectrum News. “If for 32 years his name has remained on the Wall of Fame, why now?”

Simpson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, his first year of eligibility. Then in 2019, he was named to the NFL’s 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.

But his on-the-field accomplishments were largely overshadowed when his wife, Nicole Brown, and Ron Goldman were fatally stabbed at her Los Angeles home in 1994. In what became the trial of the century, Simpson was acquitted of murder, but his public persona was forever changed. 

Legal issues followed him until his death from cancer in 2024, including the infamous car chase and a 33-year prison sentence for armed robbery and kidnapping in 2007.

See social media’s reaction to the Bills’ decision below.