For the first time in over four decades, O.J. Simpson‘s #32 jersey will be assigned to a Buffalo Bills player.
The number, which hasn’t been given to a player since Simpson’s final game in 1977, will now be worn by Senorise Perry, the Bills running back who signed during the off-season, as he revealed to The Atlantic.
“I thought it was retired, but then I was told it was available. Boom, I took it,” Perry, 27, said.
Simpson was famously accused of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown after ending his football career, leading to the most publicized murder trial in American history.
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However, Perry does not seem worried about the potential bad karma from the number. “I know the situation. I know that greatness comes with that number, playing in Buffalo,” he said.
“But I’m willing to take anything that comes my way,” the running back added to the outlet. “I’m going into my sixth year, and I know what it takes to get in this league and stay here. With that number on my back, I know I’m doing well for my family.”
Simpson, who won the 1973 NFL MVP award, was arrested and accused of murdering his ex-wife Brown, and her friend Ronald Goldman, in 1994. After national media attention to the trial, he was acquitted by a jury.
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However, the NFL star ultimately served time in prison after charges of armed robbery and kidnapping in 2007. He was released on parole in October 2017, and has kept a low profile since his return to society.
Simpson, himself, said he isn’t bothered by his number being transferred to a new player all these years later.
“Whatever they do is fine with me,” Simpson told The Atlantic. “That’s how I feel. When I played there, I tried to honor the team. Since I left, I always tried to honor the Bills. And, to be honest, it’s not something I think about. There’s too much else going on in life.”
Perry will begin sporting the #32 jersey in the upcoming NFL season. He played college football at Louisville and was signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2014. Perry most recently played for the Miami Dolphins.
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