O.j. Simpson 2 Autographs Usc Heisman Buffalo Bills Football Hall Of Fame

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Seller: memorabilia111 ✉️ (807) 100%, Location: Ann Arbor, Michigan, US, Ships to: US & many other countries, Item: 176257077062 O.J. SIMPSON 2 AUTOGRAPHS USC HEISMAN BUFFALO BILLS FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Strength and conditioning. Assistant special teams – Cory Harkey. Special teams coordinator – Matthew Smiley. Special teams coaches. Safeties – Joe Danna. 2 O.J. SIMPSON AUTOGRAPH ON PAPER AS A U.S.C. PLAYER MEASURING APPROX 5 1/2 X 8 1/2 INCHES AS A BUFFALO BILLS PLAYER MEASURING APPROX. 4 3/4 X 6 3/4 INCHES
Orenthal James Simpson (born July 9, 1947), more commonly known as O. J. Simpson, is an American former football running back, actor, and broadcaster. He played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Buffalo Bills, and is regarded as one of the greatest running backs of all time. Once a popular figure with the American public, Simpson's professional success was overshadowed by his trial and controversial acquittal for the murders of his former wife Nicole Brown and her friend Ron Goldman. Simpson played college football for the USC Trojans, where he won the Heisman Trophy as a senior, and was selected first overall by the Bills in the 1969 NFL/AFL draft. During his nine seasons with the Bills, Simpson received five consecutive Pro Bowl and first-team All-Pro selections from 1972 to 1976. He also led the league in rushing yards four times, in rushing touchdowns twice, and in points scored in 1975. In 1973, he became the first NFL player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season, earning him NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP), and is the only NFL player to do so in a 14-game regular season. Simpson holds the record for the single-season yards-per-game average at 143.1. After retiring with the San Francisco 49ers in 1979, Simpson pursued an acting and broadcasting career. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985. In June 1994, Simpson was arrested and charged with the murders of Brown and Goldman. He was acquitted in a lengthy and internationally publicized trial, but found liable for the deaths three years later in a civil suit from the victims' families. To date, Simpson has paid little of the $33.5 million judgment (equivalent to $61 million in 2022). In 2007, Simpson was arrested in Las Vegas, Nevada, and charged with armed robbery and kidnapping.[1] In 2008, he was convicted and sentenced to 33 years' imprisonment, with a minimum of nine years without parole.[2] He served his sentence at the Lovelock Correctional Center near Lovelock, Nevada.[3] He was granted parole on July 20, 2017, which was the minimum sentence. He was released on October 1, 2017.[4][5] In December 2021, Simpson was granted early release from his parole by the Nevada Division of Parole and Probation.[6][7] Early life Born and raised in San Francisco, California, Simpson is a son of Eunice (née Durden), a hospital administrator, and Jimmy Lee Simpson, who has been described as having worked as an employee of the Federal Reserve Bank and a onetime bank custodian.[8][9] His father was a well-known drag queen in the San Francisco Bay Area. Later in life, Jimmy Simpson announced that he was gay. He died of AIDS in 1986.[10][11] Simpson's maternal grandparents were from Louisiana, and his aunt gave him the name Orenthal, which she said was the name of a French actor she liked.[12] He was called "O.J." from birth and did not know that Orenthal was his given name until a teacher read it in third grade.[13] Simpson has one brother, Melvin Leon "Truman" Simpson, one living sister, Shirley Simpson-Baker, and one deceased sister, Carmelita Simpson-Durio. As a child, Simpson developed rickets and wore braces on his legs until the age of five,[14] giving him his bowlegged stance.[15] His parents separated in 1952, and Simpson was raised by his mother.[16] Simpson's 1964 school portrait Simpson grew up in San Francisco and lived with his family in the housing projects of the Potrero Hill neighborhood.[17] In his early teenage years, he joined a street gang called the Persian Warriors and was briefly incarcerated at the San Francisco Youth Guidance Center.[14] Future wife Marguerite, his childhood sweetheart, described Simpson as "really an awful person then";[18] after his third arrest, a meeting with Willie Mays during which the baseball star encouraged Simpson to avoid trouble helped persuade him to reform.[15] At Galileo High School (currently Galileo Academy of Science and Technology) in San Francisco, Simpson played for the school football team, the Galileo Lions. He graduated in 1965. College football and athletics career Although Simpson was an All-City football player at Galileo, his mediocre high-school grades prevented him from attracting the interest of many college recruiters. After a childhood friend's injury in the Vietnam War influenced Simpson to stay out of the military, he enrolled at City College of San Francisco in 1965.[15] He played football both ways as a running back and defensive back and was named to the Junior College All-American team as a running back.[19] City College won the Prune Bowl against Long Beach State, and many colleges sought Simpson as a transfer student for football.[15] Simpson chose to attend the University of Southern California (USC), which he had admired as a young football fan,[15] over the University of Utah. He played running back with the Trojans for head coach John McKay in 1967 and 1968.[20] Simpson led the nation in rushing both years under McKay: in 1967 with 1,543 yards and 13 touchdowns, and in 1968 with 1,880 yards on 383 carries.[21] As a junior in 1967, Simpson was a close runner-up in the Heisman Trophy balloting to quarterback Gary Beban of UCLA. In that year's Victory Bell rivalry game between the teams, USC was down by six points in the fourth quarter with under 11 minutes remaining. On their own 36, USC backup quarterback Toby Page called an audible on third and seven. Simpson's 64-yard touchdown run tied the score, and the extra point provided a 21–20 lead, which was the final score.[22] This was the biggest play in what is regarded as one of the greatest football games of the 20th century.[23] Another dramatic touchdown in the same game is the subject of the Arnold Friberg oil painting, O.J. Simpson Breaks for Daylight. Simpson also won the Walter Camp Award in 1967 and was a two-time unanimous All-American.[24] Simpson was an aspiring track athlete; in 1967, he lost a 100 m race at Stanford University against the then-British record holder Menzies Campbell.[25] Prior to playing football at USC, he ran in the sprint relay quartet that broke the world record in the 4 × 110-yard relay at the NCAA track championships in Provo, Utah on June 17, 1967.[26] As a senior in 1968, Simpson rushed for 1,709 yards and 22 touchdowns in the regular season, earning the Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Award, and Walter Camp Award. He held the record for the Heisman's largest margin of victory for 51 years, defeating runner-up Leroy Keyes by 1,750 points. In the Rose Bowl on New Year's Day, #2 USC faced top-ranked Ohio State; Simpson ran for 171 yards, including an 80-yard touchdown run in a 27–16 loss.[27] Statistics Simpson's stats for the USC Trojans Season Rushing Receiving Att Yds Avg TD Rec Yds Avg TD 1967 291 1,543 5.3 13 10 109 10.9 0 1968 383 1,880 4.9 23 26 211 8.1 0 Totals[28] 674 3,423 5.1 36 36 320 8.9 0 Professional football career Buffalo Bills The first selection 1969 AFL–NFL Common Draft was held by the AFL's Buffalo Bills, after finishing 1–12–1 in 1968. They took Simpson, but he demanded what was then the largest contract in professional sports history: $650,000 over five years. This led to a standoff with Bills' owner Ralph Wilson, as Simpson threatened to become an actor and skip professional football. Eventually, Wilson agreed to pay Simpson.[29][30] Simpson entered professional football with high expectations,[29][30] but struggled in his first three years, averaging only 622 yards per season.[31] Bills coach John Rauch, not wanting to build an offense around one running back, assigned Simpson to do blocking and receiving duties at the expense of running the ball. In 1971, Rauch resigned as head coach and the Bills brought in Harvey Johnson.[29][32][33] Despite Johnson devising a new offense for Simpson, Simpson was still ineffective that year. After the 1971 season, the Bills fired Johnson and brought in Lou Saban as head coach.[29] Unlike Rauch, Saban made Simpson the centerpiece of the Bills offense.[34] Simpson breaks the NFL's single-season rushing record in 1973 In 1972, Simpson rushed for over 1,000 yards for the first time in his career, gaining a league-leading total of 1,251 yards. In 1973, Simpson became the first player to break the highly coveted 2,000 yard rushing mark, with 2,003 total rushing yards and 12 touchdowns.[31][35] Simpson broke the mark during the last game of the season against the New York Jets with a seven-yard rush. That same game also saw Simpson break Jim Brown's single-season rushing record of 1,863 yards.[36] For his performance, Simpson won that year's NFL MVP Award and Bert Bell Award.[37][38] While other players have broken the 2,000-yard mark since Simpson, his record was established in a time when the NFL had only 14 games per season, as opposed to the 16-game seasons that began in 1978.[39] Simpson still holds the rushing record for 14 games. Simpson gained more than 1,000 rushing yards for each of his next three seasons. He did not lead the league in rushing in 1974, but did cross the 1,000-yard barrier despite a knee injury.[40] In game 11 of 1974, he passed Ken Willard as the rushing leader among active players, a position he maintained until his retirement more than five seasons later. Simpson also made his first and only playoff appearance during the 1974 season. In a divisional game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Simpson rushed for 49 yards on 15 attempts and caught a touchdown pass, but the Bills lost the game 32–14.[41] Simpson won the rushing title again in 1975, rushing for 1,817 yards and 16 touchdowns. He also had a career-high 426 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns that season.[31] Simpson once again led the league in rushing in 1976, rushing for 1,503 yards and eight touchdowns.[31] He had the best game of his career during that season's Thanksgiving game against the Detroit Lions on November 25. In that game, Simpson rushed for a then-record 273 yards on 29 attempts and scored two touchdowns. Despite Simpson's performance, the Bills would lose the game 27–14.[42] A low light that season came during a game against the Patriots a few weeks earlier when defensive end Mel Lunsford and several other Patriots defenders stuffed the superstar running back for no gain but as Simpson tried to continue driving forward Lunsford bodyslammed him to the ground. Simpson got up and punched Lunsford which prompted Lunsford to swing back. Bills offensive lineman Reggie McKenzie then jumped on Lunsford's back but Lunsford bent down and flung McKenzie over his head and went back to swinging at Simpson before a melee of the two teams stopped the fight and ended up in a pile on the field. Lunsford and Simpson were both ejected from the game as the Patriots solid defense persisted with New England going on to win 20–10 on their way to finishing the 1976 season 11–3. The Bills finished 2–12.[43] Simpson played in only seven games in 1977, as his season was cut short by injury.[12] San Francisco 49ers Before the 1978 season, the Bills traded Simpson to his hometown San Francisco 49ers for a series of draft picks.[44] Simpson played in San Francisco for two seasons, rushing for 1,053 yards and four touchdowns.[31] His final NFL game was on December 16, 1979, a 31–21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons at Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium.[45] His final play was a 10-yard run on 3rd and 10 for a first down.[46] Career summary Simpson gained 11,236 rushing yards, placing him 2nd on the NFL's all-time rushing list when he retired; he now stands at 21st. He was named NFL Player of the Year in 1973, and played in six Pro Bowls. He was the only player in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a 14-game season and he is the only player to rush for over 200 yards in six different games in his career. From 1972 to 1976, Simpson averaged 1,540 rushing yards per (14 game) season, 5.1 yards per carry, and he won the NFL rushing title four times.[31] Simpson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985, his first year of eligibility.[47] In 2019, he was named to the National Football League 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.[48] Simpson also occasionally returned kickoffs in his early career, finishing with 33 returns for 990 yards and a touchdown, an average of 30 yards per return. Simpson played in only one playoff game during his 11-season Hall of Fame career: a 1974 Divisional Round game between the Buffalo Bills and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Simpson was held to 49 rushing yards on fifteen carries to go with three receptions for 37 yards and a touchdown as the Bills lost 32–14.[49] Simpson acquired the nickname "Juice" as a play on "O.J.", a common abbreviation for orange juice. "Juice" is also a colloquial synonym for electricity or electrical power, and hence a metaphor for any powerful entity; the Bills' offensive line at Simpson's peak was nicknamed "The Electric Company".[50] NFL career statistics Legend AP NFL MVP & OPOTY NFL record Led the league Bold Career high Regular season Year Team Games Rushing Receiving Fum GP GS Att Yds Avg Lng TD Y/G A/G Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Y/G R/G 1969 BUF 13 0 181 697 3.9 32 2 53.6 13.9 30 343 11.4 55 3 26.4 2.3 6 1970 BUF 8 8 120 488 4.1 56 5 61.0 15.0 10 139 13.9 36 0 17.4 1.3 6 1971 BUF 14 14 183 742 4.1 46 5 53.0 13.1 21 162 7.7 38 0 11.6 1.5 5 1972 BUF 14 14 292 1,251 4.3 94 6 89.4 20.9 27 198 7.3 25 0 14.1 1.9 8 1973 BUF 14 14 332 2,003 6.0 80 12 143.1 23.7 6 70 11.7 24 0 5.0 0.4 7 1974 BUF 14 14 270 1,125 4.2 41 3 80.4 19.3 15 189 12.6 29 1 13.5 1.1 7 1975 BUF 14 14 329 1,817 5.5 88 16 129.8 23.5 28 426 15.2 64 7 30.4 2.0 7 1976 BUF 14 13 290 1,503 5.2 75 8 107.4 20.7 22 259 11.8 43 1 18.5 1.6 6 1977 BUF 7 7 126 557 4.4 39 0 79.6 18.0 16 138 8.6 18 0 19.7 2.3 2 1978 SF 10 10 161 593 3.7 34 1 59.3 16.1 21 172 8.2 19 2 17.2 2.1 5 1979 SF 13 8 120 460 3.8 22 3 35.4 9.2 7 46 6.6 14 0 3.5 0.5 3 Career[31] 135 116 2,404 11,236 4.7 94 61 83.2 17.8 203 2,142 10.6 64 14 15.9 1.5 62 NFL records Fastest player to gain 1,000 rushing yards in season: 1,025 in seven games in 1973 and 1,005 in seven games in 1975 (tied with Terrell Davis).[51] Fastest player to gain 2,000 rushing yards in season: 2,003 in 14 games in 1973. Most rushing yards per game in a season: 143.1 per game in 1973. Acting career Simpson began acting while at USC and appeared on Dragnet in an uncredited role as a potential recruit to the LAPD.[52] He became a professional actor before playing professional football, appearing in the first episode of Medical Center while negotiating his contract with the Bills.[13] While in the NFL Simpson appeared in productions such as the television miniseries Roots (1977), and the dramatic motion pictures The Klansman (1974), The Towering Inferno (1974), The Cassandra Crossing (1976), and Capricorn One (1978). In 1979, he started his own film production company, Orenthal Productions, which dealt mostly in made-for-TV fare such as the family-oriented Goldie and the Boxer films with Melissa Michaelsen (1979 and 1981).[53] Simpson said that he did not seriously consider an acting career until seeing Lee Marvin and Richard Burton, while filming The Klansman in Oroville, California, ordering chili from Chasen's via private jet.[13] He said in 1980 that "The Oscar or the Emmy says you've reached a level of competence in this business, and I would love to have one".[52] Simpson avoided starring in blaxploitation films, choosing third or fourth lead roles while studying experienced stars like Marvin and Burton.[15] The Hertz commercials from 1975 benefited Simpson's acting career but he sometimes intentionally chose non-positive roles; "I've got to tear down that picture of O.J. Simpson, the clean-cut athlete, to get believability into whatever part I happen to be playing".[54] Simpson also made a cameo in the comedic Back to the Beach (1987). He played Det. Norberg in all three entries of The Naked Gun film trilogy (1988, 1991, 1994) alongside Leslie Nielsen, Priscilla Presley and George Kennedy. According to Arnold Schwarzenegger, Simpson was considered by director James Cameron to play the eponymous character in The Terminator (1984) when Schwarzenegger was cast as Kyle Reese, but Cameron ultimately cast Schwarzenegger as the Terminator while Simpson had no involvement in the film.[55] Besides his acting career, Simpson worked as a commentator for Monday Night Football and The NFL on NBC.[56] He also appeared in the audience of Saturday Night Live during its second season and hosted an episode during its third season.[57] Frogmen Simpson starred in the un-televised two-hour-long film pilot for Frogmen, an A-Team-like adventure series that Warner Bros. Television completed in 1994, a few months before the murders. NBC had not yet decided whether to order the series when Simpson's arrest cancelled the project. While searching his home, the police obtained a videotaped copy of the pilot as well as the script and dailies. Although the prosecution investigated reports that Simpson, who played the leader of a group of former United States Navy SEALs, received "a fair amount of" military training—including use of a knife—for Frogmen, and there is a scene in which he holds a knife to the throat of a woman, this material was not introduced as evidence during the trial.[58] NBC executive Warren Littlefield said in July 1994 that the network would probably never air the pilot if Simpson were convicted; if he were acquitted, however, one television journalist speculated that "Frogmen would probably be on the air before the NBC peacock could unfurl its plume".[59] Most pilots that are two hours long are aired as TV movies whether or not they are ordered as series. Because—as the Los Angeles Times later reported—"the appetite for all things O.J. appeared insatiable" during the trial, Warner Bros. and NBC estimated that a gigantic, Super Bowl–like television audience would have watched the Frogmen film. Co-star Evan Handler said the studio's decision not to air it or release it on home video, and forego an estimated $14 million in profits, was "just about the only proof you have that there is some dignity in the advertising and television business".[58] Juiced In 2006, Simpson starred in his own improv-based hidden-camera prank TV show Juiced. Typical of the genre, Simpson would play a prank on everyday people while secretly filming them and at the end of each prank, he would shout, "You've been Juiced!" Less typical, each episode opened with topless strippers dancing around Simpson, who is dressed as a pimp. He sings his own rap song, which includes the lyrics "Don't you know there's no stopping the Juice / When I'm on the floor I'm like a lion on the loose / Better shoot me with a tranquilizer dart / Don't be stupid, I'm not a Simpson named Bart." In one episode, Simpson is at a used car lot in Las Vegas where he attempts to sell his white Bronco. A bullet hole in the front of the SUV is circled with his autograph, and he pitches it to a prospective buyer by saying that if they "ever get into some trouble and have to get away, it has escapability."[60] In another sketch called "B-I-N-G-O.J.", Simpson pretends to be having an affair with another man's girlfriend. Later he transforms into an old white man whose dying wish is to call a game of bingo. Juiced aired as a one-time special on pay-per-view television and was later released on DVD.[61] Filmography This section of a biography of a living person needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately from the article and its talk page, especially if potentially libelous. Find sources: "O. J. Simpson" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (December 2022) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Year Film Role Notes 1968 Ironside Onlooker—uncredited TV episode—"Price Tag Death" Dragnet 1968 Student—uncredited TV episode—"Community Relations DR:10" 1969 Medical Center Bru Wiley TV episode "The Last 10 Yards" The Dream of Hamish Mose Unknown Unreleased film 1971 Why? The Athlete Short film 1972 Cade's County Jeff Hughes TV episode "Blackout" 1973 Here's Lucy Himself TV episode "The Big Game" 1974 The Klansman Garth O. J. Simpson: Juice on the Loose Himself TV documentary The Towering Inferno Jernigan 1976 The Cassandra Crossing Haley Killer Force Alexander 1977 A Killing Affair Woodrow York TV Roots Kadi Touray 1978 Capricorn One Cmdr. John Walker Saturday Night Live Host TV (February 25, 1978) 1979 Firepower Catlett Goldie and the Boxer Joe Gallagher TV (executive producer) 1980 Detour to Terror Lee Hayes TV (executive producer) 1981 Goldie and the Boxer Go to Hollywood Joe Gallagher TV (executive producer) 1983 Cocaine and Blue Eyes Michael Brennen TV (executive producer) 1983 Hambone and Hillie Tucker 1985–91 1st & Ten T.D. Parker Five episodes 1987 Back to the Beach Man at Airport Uncredited Student Exchange Soccer Coach TV 1988 The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! Detective Nordberg 1989 In the Heat of the Night Councilman Lawson Stiles TV episode "Walkout" 1991 The Naked Gun 2+1⁄2: The Smell of Fear Detective Nordberg 1993 Adventures in Wonderland Himself TV episode "White Rabbits Can't Jump", unaired CIA Code Name: Alexa Nick Murphy For Goodness Sake Man in restaurant Simpson was edited out of later releases[62][63][64] No Place to Hide Allie Wheeler 1994 Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult Detective Nordberg Frogmen John 'Bullfrog' Burke Unaired TV movie 2006 Juiced with O. J. Simpson Himself TV pay-per-view 2011 Jail Himself TV, Season 2, Episode 18 2018 Who Is America? Himself TV, Episode 7[65][66] Endorsements Go, O.J., Go! — Hertz slogan[67] As a child, Simpson earned money by scalping tickets and collecting seat cushions at Kezar Stadium. In high school, he organized dances, hiring a band and ballroom and charging admission.[15] Chuck Barnes helped Simpson form business relationships with Chevrolet and ABC early in his football career. By 1971, New York wrote that Simpson was already wealthy enough to "retire this week if [he] wanted to".[68] In 1975, People magazine described Simpson as "the first black athlete to become a bona fide lovable media superstar".[18] He used his amiable persona,[69] good looks, and charisma in many endorsement deals. Beginning in 1975, he appeared in advertisements with the Hertz rental car company. Commercials depicted Simpson running through airports embodying speed, as others shouted to him the Hertz slogan "Go, O.J., Go!".[67] Besides helping his acting career, Simpson estimated that the very successful "superstar in rent-a-car" campaign raised the recognition rate among people he met from 30% to 90%.[15] Hertz's annual profit increased by 50% to $42.2 million within the first year, brand awareness increased by more than 40%,[54] and 97% of viewers understood that the commercials advertised Hertz, avoiding the common "vampire video" problem.[15] Simpson was so important to the company that CEO Frank Olson personally negotiated his contract, and Hertz used him for an unusually long time for a celebrity endorser.[67] Advertising Age in 1977 named Simpson the magazine's Star Presenter of the Year;[54] by 1984, consumer research found that he was the most popular athlete endorser, and a 1990s MCI Communications commercial starring Eunice Simpson satirized her son's work. Although Simpson appeared less often in Hertz commercials by the late 1980s, his relationship with the company continued; Simpson was to travel to Chicago to meet with Hertz executives and clients on the night of the Brown-Goldman murder.[67] Other products Simpson endorsed included Pioneer Chicken, Honey Baked Ham, Calistoga Water Company's line of Napa Naturals soft drinks, and Dingo cowboy boots. As president and CEO of O. J. Simpson Enterprises, he owned hotels and restaurants. When Simpson and Brown divorced in 1992, he had $10 million in assets and more than $1 million in annual income, including $550,000 from Hertz.[67] During the June 1994 police chase, spectators shouted the "Go, O.J., Go!" slogan at Simpson as he rode in a white Bronco[70] owned by Hertz.[54] Personal life Simpson with his daughter, Sydney Brooke, in 1986 On June 24, 1967, at age 19, Simpson married Marguerite L. Whitley. Together, they had three children: Arnelle L. Simpson (b. 1968), Jason Lamar Simpson[71] (b. 1970), and Aaren Lashone Simpson (1977–1979). In August 1979, Aaren drowned in the family's swimming pool.[72][73] Simpson met Nicole Brown in 1977 while she was working as a waitress at a nightclub called The Daisy.[74][75] Although still married to his first wife, Simpson began dating Brown. Simpson and Marguerite divorced in March 1979.[76][77]: 126–28  Brown and Simpson were married on February 2, 1985, five years after his retirement from professional football.[78] The couple had two children, Sydney Brooke Simpson (b. 1985) and Justin Ryan Simpson (b. 1988).[79] The marriage lasted seven years, during which Simpson pleaded no contest to spousal abuse in 1989.[80] Brown filed for divorce on February 25, 1992, citing irreconcilable differences.[77]: 136  In 1993, after the divorce, Brown and Simpson made an attempt at reconciliation, but according to Sheila Weller "they were a dramatic, fractious, mutually obsessed couple before they married, after they married, after they divorced in 1992, and after they reconciled."[81] In 1995, after his acquittal for murder, Simpson began a relationship with Christie Prody which lasted for 13 years. At the time their relationship started, Prody was 19 years old and working as a cocktail waitress. After their relationship ended, Prody stated that she often feared for her life during the relationship.[82][83] Legal history Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman murders and trials Main article: Murder trial of O. J. Simpson Criminal trial for murder Simpson's mugshot, June 17, 1994 On the night of June 12, 1994, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ron Goldman, were found stabbed to death outside Nicole's condo in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Simpson, who had pleaded no contest to a domestic violence charge against Brown in 1989, was an immediate person of interest in their murders. After police gathered all the evidence, charges were filed and a warrant was signed for Simpson's arrest. Simpson, in agreement with his attorneys, was scheduled to turn himself in at approximately 11:00 a.m. to the Parker Center police headquarters on the morning of June 17. Simpson failed to turn himself in, and he later became the subject of a low-speed pursuit by police while riding as a passenger in a white 1993 Ford Bronco SUV, a vehicle owned and being driven by his former teammate and longtime friend Al Cowlings. According to Cowlings, Simpson was armed in the back of the vehicle with a pistol, holding it to his head and threatening to shoot himself if he wasn't taken back to his Brentwood estate. This caused the responding California Highway Patrol officers to pursue with extreme caution.[84] TV stations interrupted coverage of the 1994 NBA Finals to broadcast the incident live. With an estimated audience of 95 million people, the event was described as "the most famous ride on American shores since Paul Revere's".[85] The pursuit, arrest, and trial of Simpson were among the most widely publicized events in American history. O. J. Simpson's integrated defense counsel team included Johnnie Cochran, Robert Kardashian, Robert Shapiro, and F. Lee Bailey. Marcia Clark was the lead prosecutor for the State of California.[86][87] The trial, often characterized as the Trial of the Century because of its international publicity, likened to that of Sacco and Vanzetti and the Lindbergh kidnapping, culminated after 11 months on October 3, 1995, when the jury rendered a verdict of "not guilty" for the two murders. An estimated 100 million people nationwide tuned in to watch or listen to the verdict announcement.[88] Following Simpson's acquittal, no additional arrests or convictions related to the murders were made. Immediate reaction to the verdict was known for its division along racial lines: a poll of Los Angeles County residents showed that most African Americans there felt justice had been served by the "not guilty" verdict, while the majority of whites and Latinos opined that it had not.[89] According to a 2016 poll, 83% of white Americans and 57% of black Americans believe Simpson committed the murders.[90] Wrongful death civil trial Following Simpson's acquittal of criminal charges, Ron Goldman's family filed a civil lawsuit against Simpson. Daniel Petrocelli represented plaintiff Fred Goldman (Ronald Goldman's father), while Robert Baker represented Simpson.[91] Superior Court Judge Hiroshi Fujisaki presided,[91] and he barred television and still cameras, radio equipment, and courtroom sketch artists from the courtroom.[92] On October 23, 1996, opening statements were made, and on January 16, 1997, both sides rested their cases.[93] On February 5, 1997, a civil jury in Santa Monica, California, unanimously found Simpson liable for the wrongful death of and battery against Goldman, and battery against Brown. Simpson was ordered to pay $33,500,000 in damages. In February 1999, an auction of Simpson's Heisman Trophy and other belongings netted almost $500,000, which went to the Goldman family.[94] The Goldman family also tried to collect Simpson's NFL $28,000 monthly pension,[95] but failed to collect any money.[96] In 1997, Simpson defaulted on his mortgage at the home in which he had lived for 20 years, at 360 North Rockingham Avenue, and the lender foreclosed the property. In July 1998, the house was demolished by its next owner, Kenneth Abdalla, an investment banker and president of the Jerry's Famous Deli chain.[97] On September 5, 2006, Goldman's father took Simpson back to court to obtain control over Simpson's "right to publicity", for purposes of satisfying the judgment in the civil court case.[98] On January 4, 2007, a federal judge issued a restraining order prohibiting Simpson from spending any advance he may have received on a canceled book deal and TV interview about the 1994 murders. The matter was dismissed before trial for lack of jurisdiction.[98] On January 19, 2007, a California state judge issued an additional restraining order, ordering Simpson to restrict his spending to "ordinary and necessary living expenses".[98] On March 13, 2007, a judge prevented Simpson from receiving any further compensation from the defunct book deal and TV interview, and the judge ordered the bundled book rights to be auctioned.[99] In August 2007, a Florida bankruptcy court awarded the rights to the book to the Goldman family, to partially satisfy an unpaid civil judgment. Originally titled If I Did It, the book was renamed If I Did It: Confessions of the Killer, with the word "If" reduced in size to such an extent that it appears within the width of the large red "I" in the title, making the title appear to read I Did It: Confessions of the Killer. Additional material was added by members of the Goldman family, investigative journalist Dominick Dunne, and author Pablo Fenjves.[100] In June 2022, Ron Goldman's father, Fred, alleged in court papers intended to keep the wrongful death of and battery judgment viable that Simpson owed $96 million due to significant interest generated on the initial order to pay damages.[101] Other legal troubles In 2007, the state of California claimed that Simpson owed $1.44 million in back taxes.[102] A tax lien was filed in his case on September 1, 1999.[103] In the late 1990s, Simpson attempted to register "O. J. Simpson", "O. J.", and "The Juice" as trademarks for "a broad range of goods, including figurines, trading cards, sportswear, medallions, coins, and prepaid telephone cards".[104] A "concerned citizen", William B. Ritchie, sued to oppose the granting of federal registration on the grounds that doing so would be immoral and scandalous. Simpson gave up the effort in 2000 and left California that year for Florida, settling in Miami. Florida is one of few states where pensions and/or residences cannot generally be seized to collect debts. In February 2001, Simpson was arrested in Miami-Dade County, Florida, for simple battery and burglary of an occupied conveyance, for yanking the glasses off another motorist during a traffic dispute three months earlier. If convicted, Simpson could have faced up to 16 years in prison, but he was tried and quickly acquitted of both charges in October 2001.[105] On December 4, 2001, Simpson's Miami home was searched by the FBI on suspicion of ecstasy possession and money laundering. The FBI had received a tip that Simpson was involved in a major drug trafficking ring after 10 other suspects were arrested in the case. Simpson's home was thoroughly searched for two hours, but no illegal drugs were discovered, and no arrest or formal charges were filed following the search. However, investigators uncovered equipment capable of stealing satellite television programming, which eventually led to Simpson being sued in federal court.[106] On July 4, 2002, Simpson was arrested in Miami-Dade County, Florida, for water speeding through a manatee protection zone and failing to comply with proper boating regulations.[107] The misdemeanor boating regulation charge was dropped, and Simpson was fined for the speeding infraction.[108] In March 2004, satellite television network DirecTV, Inc. accused Simpson in a Miami federal court of using illegal electronic devices to pirate its broadcast signals. The company later won a $25,000 judgment, and Simpson was ordered to pay an additional $33,678 in attorney's fees and costs.[109] Las Vegas robbery Main article: O. J. Simpson robbery case On the night of September 13, 2007, a group of men led by Simpson entered a room at the Palace Station hotel-casino and took sports memorabilia at gunpoint, which resulted in Simpson being questioned by police.[110][111] Simpson admitted to taking the items, which he said had been stolen from him, but denied breaking into the hotel room; he also denied that he or anyone else carried a gun.[112][113] He was released after questioning. Two days later, Simpson was arrested[1] and initially held without bail.[114] Along with three other men, Simpson was charged with multiple felony counts, including criminal conspiracy, kidnapping, assault, robbery, and using a deadly weapon.[115][116] Bail was set at $125,000, with stipulations that Simpson have no contact with the co-defendants and that he surrender his passport. Simpson did not enter a plea.[117][118] By the end of October 2007, all three of Simpson's co-defendants had plea-bargained with the prosecution in the Clark County, Nevada, court case. Walter Alexander and Charles H. Cashmore accepted plea agreements in exchange for reduced charges and their testimony against Simpson and three other co-defendants, including testimony that guns were used in the robbery.[119] Co-defendant Michael McClinton told a Las Vegas judge that he too would plead guilty to reduced charges and testify against Simpson that guns were used in the robbery. After the hearings, the judge ordered that Simpson be tried for the robbery. On November 8, 2007, Simpson had a preliminary hearing to decide whether he would be tried for the charges. He was held over for trial on all 12 counts. Simpson pleaded not guilty on November 29, with an initial setting for trial on April 7, 2008, although it was soon set for September 8 to give the defense more time for their case.[120][121] In January 2008, Simpson was taken into custody in Florida and was extradited to Las Vegas, where he was incarcerated at the Clark County jail for violating the terms of his bail by attempting to contact Clarence "C. J." Stewart, a co-defendant in the trial. District Attorney David Roger of Clark County provided District Court Judge Jackie Glass with evidence that Simpson had violated his bail terms. A hearing took place on January 16, 2008. Glass raised Simpson's bail to US$250,000 and ordered that he remain in county jail until 15 percent was paid in cash.[122] Simpson posted bond that evening and returned to Miami the next day.[123] The trial began on September 8, 2008, in the court of Nevada District Court Judge Jackie Glass, before an all-white jury,[124] in stark contrast to Simpson's earlier murder trial.[125] Simpson and his co-defendant were found guilty of all charges on October 3, 2008.[126] On October 10, 2008, Simpson's counsel moved for a new trial (trial de novo) on grounds of judicial errors and insufficient evidence.[127] Simpson's attorney announced he would appeal to the Nevada Supreme Court if Judge Glass denied the motion.[127] The attorney for Simpson's co-defendant, C. J. Stewart, petitioned for a new trial, alleging Stewart should have been tried separately and cited possible misconduct by the jury foreman.[127][128][129] Simpson faced a possible life sentence with parole on the kidnapping charge, and mandatory prison time for armed robbery.[130] On December 5, 2008, Simpson was sentenced to a total of 33 years in prison,[131] with the possibility of parole after nine years, in 2017.[2] On September 4, 2009, the Nevada Supreme Court denied a request for bail during Simpson's appeal. In October 2010, the Nevada Supreme Court affirmed his convictions.[132] He served his sentence at the Lovelock Correctional Center as inmate 1027820.[133] A Nevada judge agreed on October 19, 2012, to "reopen the armed robbery and kidnapping case against O. J. Simpson to determine if the former football star was so badly represented by his lawyers that he should be freed from prison and get another trial".[134] A hearing was held beginning May 13, 2013, to determine if Simpson was entitled to a new trial.[135] On November 27, 2013, Judge Linda Bell denied Simpson's bid for a new trial on the robbery conviction. In her ruling, Bell wrote that all Simpson's contentions lacked merit.[136] Release from prison On July 31, 2013, the Nevada Parole Board granted Simpson parole on some convictions, but his imprisonment continued based on the weapons and assault convictions. The board considered Simpson's prior record of criminal convictions and good behavior in prison in coming to the decision.[137] At his parole hearing on July 20, 2017, the board decided to grant Simpson parole, with certain parole conditions such as travel restrictions, non-contact with co-defendants from the robbery, and not drinking excessively. He was released on October 1, 2017, having served almost nine years.[138][139] In December 2021, Simpson was released from parole early for good behavior, releasing him from the previous conditions of his release and effectively making him a completely free man.[6][7] In popular culture Books Pablo Fenjves ghostwrote the 2007 book If I Did It based on interviews with Simpson. The book was published by Beaufort Books, a New York City publishing house owned by parent company Kampmann & Company/Midpoint Trade Books.[140] All rights and proceeds from the book were awarded to the family of murder victim Ron Goldman.[141] Films In 2018, it was announced Boris Kodjoe would portray Simpson in the film Nicole & O.J.[142] As of September 2023, the film has not been released. Television In Fox Network's TV movie, The O. J. Simpson Story (1995), Simpson is portrayed as a youth by Bumper Robinson and as an adult by Bobby Hosea; his close friend Al Cowlings is portrayed as a youth by Terrence Howard and as an adult by David Roberson.[143][144][145] BBC TV's documentary, O.J. Simpson: The Untold Story (2000), produced by Malcolm Brinkworth, "reveals that clues that some believe pointed away from Simpson as the killer were dismissed or ignored and highlights two other leads which could shed new light on the case."[146] In CBS's TV movie American Tragedy (November 15, 2000), Simpson is played by Raymond Forchion. The Investigation Discovery TV movie documentary, OJ: Trial of the Century (2014), begins on the day of the murders, ends on the reading of the verdict, and comprises actual media footage of events and reactions, as they unfolded.[147] Also an Investigation Discovery TV documentary is O.J. Simpson Trial: The Real Story (2016), which entirely comprises archival news footage of the murder case, the Bronco chase, the trial, the verdict, and reactions.[148] The documentary mini-series, O.J.: Made in America (released January 22, 2016, at Sundance), directed by Ezra Edelman and produced by Laylow Films, is an American five-part, 7+1⁄2-hour film that previewed at the Tribeca and Sundance Film Festivals, and aired as part of the 30 for 30 series airing on the ABC and ESPN sister networks. This film adds "rich contextual layers to the case, including a dive into the history of Los Angeles race relations that played such a central role in his acquittal."[149] As James Poniewozik observed in his June 20, 2016, New York Times review: "the director Ezra Edelman pulls back, way back, like a news chopper over a freeway chase. Before you hear about the trial, the documentary says, you need to hear all the stories – the stories of race, celebrity, sports, America – that it's a part of."[150] The film won the 2017 Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. In FX's cable TV miniseries The People v. O. J. Simpson: American Crime Story (February 2016), based on Jeffrey Toobin's book The Run of His Life: The People v. O.J. Simpson (1997), Simpson is portrayed by Cuba Gooding Jr.[151] In NBC's miniseries Law & Order: True Crime – The Menendez Murders (2017), O.J. Simpson is shown to be jailed beside Erik Menendez's cell, and the two shared several conversations throughout Episode 7 (only Simpson's voice is present). In Episode 8, actual news footage of Simpson's verdict appeared on the television, with Simpson himself appearing on a newspaper. In January 2020, Court TV premiered OJ25, a 25-part series documenting each week of the trial and hosted by former Los Angeles prosecutor and legal analyst Roger Cossack.[152] Exhibits The Bronco from Simpson's police chase is on display in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee's Alcatraz East Crime Museum.[153][154] In 2017, Adam Papagan curated a pop-up museum featuring artifacts and ephemera from the trial at Coagula Curatorial gallery in Los Angeles.[155][156] See also The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team plays its home games at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. Founded in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League (AFL), they joined the NFL in 1970 following the AFL–NFL merger. The Bills' name is derived from an All-America Football Conference (AAFC) franchise from Buffalo that was in turn named after western frontiersman Buffalo Bill.[7] Drawing much of its fanbase from Western New York[8] and Southern Ontario,[9] the Bills are the only NFL team that plays home games in the state of New York.[a] The franchise is owned by Terry and Kim Pegula, who purchased the Bills after the death of original owner Ralph Wilson in 2014.[10] The Bills won consecutive AFL Championships in 1964 and 1965, the only major professional sports championships from a team representing Buffalo. After joining the NFL, they struggled heavily during the 1970s before they became perennial postseason contenders during the late 1980s to the late 1990s. Their greatest success occurred between 1990 and 1993 when they appeared in a record four consecutive Super Bowls; an accomplishment often overshadowed by them losing each game. From the early 2000s to the mid-2010s, the Bills endured the longest playoff drought of 17 years in the four major North American professional sports, making them the last franchise in the four leagues to qualify for the postseason in the 21st century.[11][12] They returned to consistent postseason contention by the late 2010s,[13] although the Bills have not returned to the Super Bowl. Alongside the Minnesota Vikings, their four Super Bowl appearances are the most among NFL franchises that have not won the Super Bowl.[14][b] Franchise history Main articles: History of the Buffalo Bills and List of Buffalo Bills seasons The Bills began competitive play in 1960 as a charter member of the American Football League led by head coach Buster Ramsey and joined the NFL as part of the AFL–NFL merger in 1970.[15] The Bills won two consecutive American Football League titles in 1964 and 1965 with quarterback Jack Kemp and coach Lou Saban, but the club has yet to win a league championship since. Running back O. J. Simpson, the face of the Bills franchise for most of the 1970s, pictured breaking the NFL's single-season rushing record in 1973 Once the AFL–NFL merger took effect, the Bills became the second NFL team to represent the city; they followed the Buffalo All-Americans, a charter member of the league. Buffalo had been left out of the league since the All-Americans (by that point renamed the Bisons) folded in 1929; the Bills were no less than the third professional non-NFL team to compete in the city before the merger, following the Indians/Tigers of the early 1940s and an earlier team named the Bills, originally the Bisons, in the late 1940s in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC). Following the AFL–NFL merger, the Bills were generally mediocre in the 1970s, but featured All-Pro running back O. J. Simpson. After being pushed to the brink of failure in the mid-1980s, the collapse of the United States Football League and a series of highly drafted players such as Jim Kelly (who initially played for the USFL instead of the Bills), Thurman Thomas, Bruce Smith and Darryl Talley allowed the Bills to rebuild into a perennial contender in the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, a period in which the team won four consecutive AFC Championships; the team nevertheless lost all four subsequent Super Bowls, records in both categories that still stand. The rise of the division rival New England Patriots under Bill Belichick and Tom Brady, along with numerous failed attempts at rebuilding in the 2000s and 2010s, helped prevent the Bills from reaching the playoffs in seventeen consecutive seasons between 2000 and 2016, a 17-year drought that was the longest active playoff drought in all major professional sports at the time. On October 8, 2014, Buffalo Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula received unanimous approval to acquire the Bills during the NFL owners' meetings, becoming the second ownership group of the team after team founder Ralph Wilson.[10] Under head coach Sean McDermott, the Bills broke the playoff drought, appearing in the playoffs for four of the next five seasons. The team earned its first division championship and playoff wins since 1995 during the 2020 season, aided by Brady's departure to Tampa Bay and out of the AFC East as well as the Bills' own development of a core of talent including Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs, and Tre'Davious White. The Buffalo Bills have also announced the plans to build a new stadium to replace Highmark Stadium in 2026. Logos and uniforms Bills logo, 1962–1973 For their first two seasons, the Bills wore uniforms based on those of the Detroit Lions at the time. Ralph Wilson had been a minority owner of the Lions before founding the Bills, and the Bills' predecessors in the AAFC had also worn blue and silver uniforms.[4][16] The team's original colors were Honolulu blue, silver and white, and the helmets were silver with no striping. There was no logo on the helmet, which displayed the players' numbers on each side. In 1962, the standing red bison was designated as the logo and took its place on a white helmet.[4] In 1962, the team's colors also changed to red, white, and blue. The team switched to blue jerseys with red and white shoulder stripes similar to those worn by the Buffalo Bisons AHL hockey team of the same era. The helmets were white with a red center stripe.[4] The jerseys again saw a change in 1964 when the shoulder stripes were replaced by a distinctive stripe pattern on the sleeves consisting of four stripes, two thicker inner stripes and two thinner outer stripes all bordered by red piping. By 1965, red and blue center stripes were put on the helmets.[17] The Bills introduced blue pants worn with the white jerseys in 1973, the last year of the standing buffalo helmet. The blue pants remained through 1985.[18] The face mask on the helmet was blue from 1974 through 1986 before changing to white. The standing bison logo was replaced by a blue charging one with a red slanting stripe streaming from its horn. The newer emblem, which is still the primary one used by the franchise, was designed by aerospace designer Stevens Wright in 1974.[5][19] Quarterback Jim Kelly's 1994 jersey displayed at the Pro Football Hall of Fame In 1984, the helmet's shell color was changed from white to red, primarily to help Bills quarterback Joe Ferguson distinguish them more readily from three of their division rivals at that time, the Baltimore Colts, the Miami Dolphins, and the New England Patriots, who all also wore white helmets at that point. Ferguson said "Everyone we played had white helmets at that time. Our new head coach Kay Stephenson just wanted to get more of a contrast on the field that may help spot a receiver down the field."[20] (The Patriots have worn silver helmets since 1993, the Colts have since been realigned to the AFC South, and in 2019 the New York Jets have since switched back to green-colored helmets, after playing 20 years with white ones.) In 2002, under the direction of general manager Tom Donahoe, the Bills' uniforms went through radical changes. A darker shade of blue was introduced as the main jersey color, and nickel gray was introduced as an accent color. Both the blue and white jerseys featured red side panels. The white jerseys included a dark blue shoulder yoke and royal blue numbers. The helmet remained primarily red with one navy blue, two nickel, two royal blue, two white stripes, and white face mask. A new logo, a stylized "B" consisting of two bullets and a more detailed buffalo head on top, was proposed and had been released (it can be seen on a few baseball caps that were released for sale), but fan backlash led to the team retaining the running bison logo. The helmet logo adopted in 1974—a charging royal blue bison, with a red streak, white horn and eyeball—remained unchanged. In 2005, the Bills revived the standing bison helmet and uniform of the mid-1960s as a throwback uniform. The Bills usually wore the all-blue combination at home and the all-white combination on the road when not wearing the throwback uniforms. They stopped wearing blue-on-white after 2006, while the white-on-blue was not worn after 2007. For the 2011 season, the Bills unveiled a new uniform design, an updated rendition of the 1975–83 design. This change includes a return to the white helmets with "charging buffalo" logo, and a return to royal blue instead of navy.[21][22] The set initially featured striped socks, but by 2021, the Bills gradually reduced its usage and began wearing either all-white or all-blue hosiery without stripes in most games. Buffalo sporadically wore white at home in the 1980s, including all eight home games in 1984, but stopped doing so beginning in 1987. On November 6, 2011, against the New York Jets, the Bills wore white at home for the first time since 1986. Since 2011, the Bills have worn white for a home game either with their primary uniform or a throwback set. The Bills' uniform received minor alterations as part of the league's new uniform contract with Nike. The new Nike uniform was unveiled on April 3, 2012.[23] On November 12, 2015, the Bills and the New York Jets became the first two teams to participate in the NFL's Color Rush uniform initiative, with Buffalo wearing an all-red combination for the first time in team history.[24] Like the primary uniforms, the set initially had red socks with white and blue stripes, but in 2020, it was replaced with red socks without stripes. A notable use of the Bills' uniforms outside of football was in the 2018 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, when the United States men's national junior ice hockey team wore Bills-inspired uniforms in their outdoor game against Team Canada on December 29, 2017.[25] This game was also played at the Bills' home stadium, Highmark Stadium. On April 1, 2021, the team announced they will wear white face masks during the upcoming season and beyond.[26] Rivalries The Bills have rivalries with their three AFC East opponents (Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots, and New York Jets) and also have had historical rivalries with other teams such as the Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts (a former divisional rival), Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars,[27] and Dallas Cowboys.[28] They also play an annual preseason game against the Detroit Lions. The Cleveland Browns once shared a rivalry with the Bills' predecessors in the All-America Football Conference. The current teams have a more friendly relationship and have played sporadically since the AFL–NFL merger.[29] Divisional rivalries Miami Dolphins Main article: Bills–Dolphins rivalry Bills placekicker Dan Carpenter attempts a kick against the Dolphins in 2014. This is often considered Buffalo's most famous rivalry. Though the Bills and Dolphins both originated in the American Football League, the Dolphins did not start playing until 1966 as an expansion team while the Bills were one of the original eight teams. The rivalry first gained prominence when the Dolphins won every match-up against the Bills in the 1970s for an NFL-record 20 straight wins against a single opponent (the Bills defeated the Dolphins in their first matchup of the 1980s). Fortunes changed in the following decades with the rise of Jim Kelly as Buffalo's franchise quarterback, and though Kelly and Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino shared a competitive rivalry in the 1980s and 1990s, the Bills became dominant in the 1990s. Things have since cooled down after the retirements of Kelly and Marino and the rise of the New England Patriots, but Miami remains a fierce rival of the Bills, coming in second place in a recent poll of Buffalo's primary rival,[30] and the two teams have typically been close to each other in win–loss records. Miami leads the overall series 62–56–1 as of 2022, but Buffalo has the advantage in the playoffs at 4–1, including a win in the 1992 AFC Championship Game.[31] New England Patriots Main article: Bills–Patriots rivalry Bills RB C. J. Spiller rushing against the Patriots in 2013 The rivalry with the New England Patriots began when both teams were original franchises in the American Football League (AFL) prior to the NFL–AFL merger, but did not gain notability until the emergence of New England's Tom Brady in 2001.[32] The teams were very competitive prior to the 2000s. However, the arrival of Patriots quarterback Brady in the early 2000s led to New England dominating the AFC East, including the Bills, for two decades.[33][34] As a result, the Patriots replaced the Dolphins as Buffalo's most hated rival.[30][35] The Bills have taken a 6–1 edge since Brady's departure in 2020, which included consecutive AFC East titles from 2020 to 2022 and a series sweep of the Patriots in two of the three years. In 2021, the Bills dominated in a 47–17 victory against the Patriots in the rivalry's first playoff matchup in 59 years, which saw the Bills score a touchdown on every offensive drive throughout the entire game and as such is the only "perfect offensive game" in NFL history.[36][37][38] Overall, the Patriots lead the series 78–49–1 as of 2023, but trail the Bills by a 46–45–1 margin without Brady on the field.[39] The rivalry is also noted for several players being a member of both teams during their careers, including Drew Bledsoe, Doug Flutie, Lawyer Milloy, Brandon Spikes, Scott Chandler, Chris Hogan, Mike Gillislee, and Stephon Gilmore. New York Jets Main article: Bills–Jets rivalry Bills' running back Joe Cribbs (middle) rushes the ball against the Jets in the 1981 AFC Wild Card. The Bills and Jets were both original AFL teams, and both represent the state of New York, though the Jets (since 1984) actually play their games in East Rutherford, New Jersey. While the rivalry represents the differences between New York City and Western New York, it has historically not been as intense as the Bills' rivalries with the Dolphins and Patriots, and the teams' fanbases either have grudging respect or low-key annoyance (stemming more from the broader upstate-downstate tensions than the teams or sport) for each other when the teams are not playing one another. Oftentimes the Bills-Jets rivalry has become characterized by ugly games and shared mediocrity, but it has had a handful of competitive moments. The series heated up recently when former Jets head coach Rex Ryan became the Bills' head coach for two seasons, and had become notable again as Bills quarterback Josh Allen and former Jets quarterback Sam Darnold, both drafted in the same year, maintained a friendly rivalry with one another.[40] Buffalo leads the series 69–58 as of 2023, including a playoff win in 1981.[41] Other rivalries Tennessee Titans Main article: Bills–Titans rivalry The Tennessee Titans (formerly the Houston Oilers) share an extended history with the Bills, both teams being original AFL clubs in 1960 and rivals in that league's East Division before the AFL-NFL merger. Matchups were intense in the 1990s with quarterback Warren Moon leading the Oilers against Jim Kelly's Bills.[42] After both teams failed to meet the same success in the late 2000s to early 2010s, they have returned to consistent playoff contention since 2017, resulting in several high-profile games as of late.[43] Memorable playoff moments between the teams include The Comeback, in which the Frank Reich-led Bills overcame a 35–3 deficit to stun the Oilers 41–38 in 1992,[42] and the Music City Miracle, in which the now-Titans scored on a near-last-minute kickoff return with a controversial lateral pass ruling to beat the Bills 22–16 in 1999.[44] The Music City Miracle was notable for being Buffalo's last playoff appearance until 2017.[45] The Titans currently lead the series 30–20.[46] Jacksonville Jaguars A new rivalry emerged between the Bills and the Jacksonville Jaguars after former Bills head coach Doug Marrone, who had quit the team after the 2014 season, was hired as a coaching assistant for Jacksonville and eventually rose to become the Jaguars' head coach.[27] The first game between the Marrone led Jaguars was a London game in week 7 of the 2015 season which saw the Jaguars' win 34–31.[47] The most important game of this series was an ugly, low-scoring Wild Card game in 2017 that saw the Jaguars win 10–3. This game is notable as it was the first Bills playoff appearance in 17 seasons.[48] Prior to this, Jacksonville had handed Buffalo its first playoff loss in Bills Stadium in 1996.[49] Following the 2017 wild card game the Bills and Jaguars have met two additional times. The first was a "rematch" game in week 12 of the 2018 season which saw the Bills win 24–21. During this game trash talk from former Jaguars players such as Jalen Ramsey resulted in a brawl between the teams.[50][51][52] The second time was in week 9 of the 2021 season. By now the "point" of the rivalry, Marrone's feud with the Bills organization, and the personal drama between Bills and Jaguars players no longer applied as Marrone had been fired and replaced by Urban Meyer and all the players from the 2017 Jaguars team have since moved on to other teams or retired. Regardless, this game was the seventh largest upset at the time in NFL history which saw the 15.5-point favorite Bills lose 6–9.[53] The current series record is tied at 9-8-0 as of 2023.[54] Kansas City Chiefs Main article: Bills–Chiefs rivalry See also: 2021 AFC Divisional playoff game (Buffalo–Kansas City) The Kansas City Chiefs, another original franchise in the AFL, have also had a long history against the Bills, despite the two teams never being in the same division. Buffalo currently leads the series 29–24–1, which has included five playoff meetings, three of which were AFL/AFC championship games; Kansas City won the 1966 AFL Championship game that determined the AFL's representative in the first Super Bowl, going on to face the Green Bay Packers,[55] in addition to the 2020 AFC Championship game that saw the team advance to its second straight Super Bowl appearance,[56] while Buffalo defeated Kansas City in the 1993 AFC championship game to advance to its fourth straight Super Bowl appearance.[57] Each time the Super Bowl participant would end up losing the big game. Despite a lull in the series in the 2000s and 2010s, the rivalry gained attention nonetheless as the Bills and Chiefs met in nine of ten years from 2008 to 2017.[58][59] After a 2-year hiatus in the series, four high-profile matchups occurred between the Bills and Chiefs in 2020 and 2021, including the aforementioned 2020 championship game and the 2021 Divisional round game, which is now considered one of the greatest playoff games of all time but was also controversial due to the league's overtime rules.[60][61] A rivalry between Josh Allen and Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes has also developed, drawing comparisons to Jim Kelly's rivalry with Dan Marino as well as the rivalry between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.[62] Notable players Retired numbers The Buffalo Bills have retired three numbers in franchise history: No. 12 for Jim Kelly, No. 34 for Thurman Thomas and No. 78 for Bruce Smith. Despite the fact that the Bills have retired only three jersey numbers, the team has other numbers no longer issued to any player or in reduced circulation.[63][64] Buffalo Bills retired numbers No. Player Position Tenure Retired 12 Jim Kelly QB 1986–1996[63] November 19, 2001 34 Thurman Thomas RB 1988–1999[65][66] October 30, 2018 78 Bruce Smith DE 1985–1999[64] September 15, 2016 Reduced circulation:[63] 83 Andre Reed, WR, 1985–1999 (Lee Evans III wore No. 83 by special permission) Since the earliest days of the team, the number 31 was not supposed to be issued to any other player. The Bills had stationery and various other team merchandise showing a running player wearing that number, and it was not supposed to represent any specific person, but the 'spirit of the team.' In the first three decades of the team's existence, the number 31 was only seen once: in 1969, when reserve running back Preston Ridlehuber damaged his number 36 jersey during a game, equipment manager Tony Marchitte gave him the number 31 jersey to wear while repairing the number 36. The number 31 was not issued again until 1990 when first round draft choice James (J.D.) Williams wore it for his first two seasons; it has since been returned to general circulation, currently worn as of 2022 by Dean Marlowe. Number 32 had been withdrawn from circulation, but not retired, after O. J. Simpson. Former owner Ralph Wilson insisted on not reissuing the number, even after Simpson's highly publicized murder case and later robbery conviction. The number was placed back into circulation in 2019 with Senorise Perry wearing the number that year; practice squad cornerback Kyler McMichael was the last player to wear the number.[67] Number 15 was historically only issued sparingly after the retirement of Jack Kemp.[63] It was last worn by Jake Kumerow in 2021. Number 1 has also only rarely been used, for reasons never explained. While there is no proper explanation, Tommy Hughitt was a player-coach for the early Buffalo teams in the New York Pro Football League and NFL from 1918 to 1924 and was both a major on-field success and a fixture in Buffalo culture after his retirement as a politician and auto salesman. Hugitt was reported to wear number 1 during this time. Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders is the most recent Bill to wear the number; prior to his arrival in 2021, it had been 19 years since it had been worn in the regular season, when kicker Mike Hollis wore it in 2002. Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Distinguished Service Award recipients 1986 – Ben Williams 1987 – Joe DeLamielleure 1988 – Steve Freeman 1989 – Jerry Butler 1990 – Tim Vogler 1991 – Joe Ferguson 1992 – Ken Jones 1993 – Booker Edgerson 1994 – George "Butch" Byrd 1995 – Tony Greene 1996 – Frank Lewis 1997 – Steven Paganelli 1996 – Roland Hooks 1997 – Jim Ritcher, Charley Ferguson 1998 – Stew Barber, Ed Rutkowski 1999 – Fred Smerlas, Reggie McKenzie 2000 – Darryl Talley, Ernie Warlick 2001 – Steve Tasker, Kent Hull 2002 – Don Beebe 2003 – Thurman Thomas 2004 – Paul Maguire 2005 – Frank Reich 2006 – Phil Hansen 2007 – Lou Piccone, Denny Lynch 2008 – Mark Kelso 2009 – Andre Reed 2010 – Ruben Brown 2011 – Scott Norwood[68] 2012 – Chris Mohr 2013 – Al Bemiller 2014 – Russ Brandon[69] Wall of Fame Quarterback Jim Kelly was the first Bills player to have his number retired Hall of Fame WR Andre Reed Hall of Fame RB O. J. Simpson Defensive end Bruce Smith holds the NFL record for quarterback sacks Inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame Inducted No. Name Position Tenure 1980 32 O. J. Simpson RB 1969–1977 1984 15 Jack Kemp QB 1962–1969 1985 – Pat McGroder Contributor GM 1961–1983 1983 1987 70 Tom Sestak DT 1962–1968 1988 66 Billy Shaw OG 1961–1969 1989 – Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Owner 1959–2014 1992 12 The 12th Man Fans 1960–present 1993 44 Elbert Dubenion WR 1960–1968 1994 58 Mike Stratton LB 1962–1972 1995 12 Joe Ferguson QB 1973–1984 1996 – Marv Levy HC GM 1986–1997 2006–2007 1997 68 Joe DeLamielleure OG 1973–1979 1985 1998 20 Robert James CB 1969–1974 1999 – Edward Abramoski Trainer 1960–1996 2000 61 Bob Kalsu G 1968 26 George Saimes S 1963–1969 2001 12 Jim Kelly QB 1986–1996 76 Fred Smerlas DT 1979–1989 2002 67 Kent Hull C 1986–1996 2003 56 Darryl Talley LB 1983–1994 2004 51 Jim Ritcher C/G 1980–1993 2005 34 Thurman Thomas RB 1988–1999 2006 83 Andre Reed WR 1985–1999 2007 89 Steve Tasker WR 1986–1997 2008 78 Bruce Smith DE 1985–1999 2010 24 Booker Edgerson DB 1962–1969 2011 90 Phil Hansen DE 1991–2001 2012 – Bill Polian GM 1984–1992 2014 – Van Miller Broadcaster 1960–1971 1977–2003 2015 – Lou Saban Coach 1962–1965 1972–1976 2017 34 Cookie Gilchrist RB 1962–1964 Pro Football Hall of Fame Buffalo Bills Hall of Famers Players No. Name Position Tenure Inducted 32 O. J. Simpson RB 1969–1977 1985 66 Billy Shaw OG 1961–1969 1999 12 Jim Kelly QB 1986–1996 2002 80 James Lofton WR 1989–1992 2003 68 Joe DeLamielleure OG 1973–1979 1985 2003 34 Thurman Thomas RB 1988–1999 2007 78 Bruce Smith DE 1985–1999 2009 83 Andre Reed WR 1985–1999 2014[70] 81 Terrell Owens WR 2009 2018 Coaches and Executives Name Position Tenure Inducted Marv Levy Head coach General Manager 1986–1997 2006–2007 2001 Ralph Wilson Owner 1959–2014 2009 Bill Polian General Manager 1984–1992 2015 All-time first round draft picks Main article: List of Buffalo Bills first-round draft picks Recent Pro Bowl selections Main article: List of Buffalo Bills Pro Bowl selections Coaching staff Head coaches Main article: List of Buffalo Bills head coaches Current staff Buffalo Bills staffvte Front office Owner/CEO/president – Terry Pegula Owner – Kim Pegula General manager – Brandon Beane Assistant general manager – Brian Gaine Director of player personnel – Terrance Gray Senior advisor to the GM/football operations – Jim Overdorf Senior executive – Lake Dawson Senior personnel advisor – Malik Boyd Co-director of pro scouting/team advances – Chris Marrow Co-director of pro scouting/free agency – Curtis Rukavina Vice president of football administration – Kevin Meganck Director of football operations – Brendan Rowe Senior personnel executive – Matt Bazirgan Director of team administration – Matt Worswick Head coach Head coach – Sean McDermott Assistant head coach/defensive line – Eric Washington Offensive coaches Interim offensive coordinator/quarterbacks – Joe Brady Assistant quarterbacks/game management – Marc Lubick Running backs – Kelly Skipper Wide receivers – Adam Henry Tight ends – Rob Boras Offensive line – Aaron Kromer Offensive assistant/offensive line – Austin Gund Senior offensive assistant – Mike Shula Offensive quality control – Kyle Shurmur   Defensive coaches Senior defensive assistant – Al Holcomb Assistant defensive line – Marcus West Linebackers – Bobby Babich Defensive backs/passing game coordinator – John Butler Safeties – Joe Danna Defensive quality control – Jaylon Finner Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Matthew Smiley Assistant special teams – Cory Harkey Strength and conditioning Head strength and conditioning – Eric Ciano Assistant strength and conditioning – Will Greenberg Strength and conditioning assistant – Nick Lacy Assistant strength and conditioning – Hal Luther Strength and conditioning assistant – Jason Oszvart → Coaching staff → Management → More NFL staffs Current roster Buffalo Bills rosterviewtalkedit Quarterbacks 17 Josh Allen  9 Kyle Allen Running backs  4 James Cook 41 Reggie Gilliam FB 26 Ty Johnson 28 Latavius Murray Wide receivers 13 Gabe Davis 14 Stefon Diggs 11 Deonte Harty 10 Khalil Shakir 16 Trent Sherfield Tight ends 86 Dalton Kincaid 88 Dawson Knox 85 Quintin Morris Offensive linemen 70 Alec Anderson G 71 Ryan Bates C 79 Spencer Brown T 73 Dion Dawkins T 76 David Edwards G 66 Connor McGovern G 60 Mitch Morse C 64 O'Cyrus Torrence G 74 Ryan Van Demark T Defensive linemen 57 A. J. Epenesa DE 56 Leonard Floyd DE 98 Poona Ford DT 59 Kingsley Jonathan DE 92 DaQuan Jones DT 93 Linval Joseph DT 90 Shaq Lawson DE 91 Ed Oliver DT 50 Gregory Rousseau DE 99 Tim Settle DT Linebackers 43 Terrel Bernard MLB 25 Tyrel Dodson OLB 44 Tyler Matakevich MLB 40 Von Miller OLB 54 Baylon Spector OLB 42 Dorian Williams OLB Defensive backs 47 Christian Benford CB 31 Rasul Douglas CB 24 Kaiir Elam CB  3 Damar Hamlin FS 23 Micah Hyde FS 30 Dane Jackson CB  7 Taron Johnson CB 39 Cam Lewis FS 33 Siran Neal CB 21 Jordan Poyer SS 20 Taylor Rapp SS Special teams  2 Tyler Bass K 69 Reid Ferguson LS  8 Sam Martin P Reserve lists 84 Zach Davidson TE (IR)  72 Tommy Doyle T (IR)  22 Damien Harris RB (IR)   0 Nyheim Hines RB (NF-Inj.)  58 Matt Milano OLB (IR)  97 Jordan Phillips DT (IR)  18 Justin Shorter WR (IR)  27 Tre'Davious White CB (IR)  Practice squad 51 Eli Ankou DT 94 Andrew Brown DT 32 Kyron Brown CB  6 Shane Buechele QB 96 Kameron Cline DT  5 Leonard Fournette RB 75 Richard Gouraige T 68 Germain Ifedi T 46 Ja'Marcus Ingram CB 87 Andy Isabella WR 63 Kevin Jarvis G 62 Greg Mancz C 83 Tre' McKitty TE 29 Josh Norman CB 80 Tyrell Shavers WR 89 Bryan Thompson WR Rookies in italics Roster updated December 30, 2023 Depth chartTransactions 53 active, 8 inactive, 16 practice squad → AFC rosters → NFC rosters Radio and television Main article: List of Buffalo Bills broadcasters See also: Buffalo Bills Radio Network Map of radio affiliates[needs update]. One affiliate in Wyoming is not shown. The Buffalo Bills Radio Network is flagshipped at WGR AM 550 in Buffalo, with sister station WWKB AM 1520 simulcasting all home games. Chris Brown is the team's current play-by-play announcer, having taken over from John Murphy (the announcer from 2003 to 2022 and color commentator most years from 1984 to 2003) after Murphy suffered a stroke. Former Bills center Eric Wood serves as the color analyst. In 2018, the team signed an agreement with Nexstar Media Group to carry Bills preseason games across its network of stations in the region. As of 2020, WIVB-TV serves as the flagship station of the network, which includes WJET-TV in Erie, WROC-TV in Rochester, WSYR-TV in Syracuse, WUTR in Utica, WETM-TV in Elmira and WIVT in Binghamton.[71] Steve Tasker does color commentary on these games; the play-by-play position is rotated between Andrew Catalon and Rob Stone. WROC-TV reporter Thad Brown is the sideline reporter. Since 2008, preseason games have been broadcast in high definition. Beginning in the 2016 season, as per a new rights deal which covers rights to the team as well as its sister NHL franchise, the Buffalo Sabres, most team-related programming, including studio programming and the coach's show, was re-located to MSG Western New York—a joint venture of MSG and the team ownership. Preseason games will continue to air in simulcast on broadcast television.[72] In the event regular-season games are broadcast by ESPN, in accordance with the league's television policies, a local Buffalo station simulcasts the game. From 2014 to 2017, WKBW-TV held the broadcast rights to that contest, with the station having won back the rights to cable games after WBBZ-TV held the rights for 2012 and 2013.[73] Training camp sites 1960–1962 Roycroft Inn, East Aurora, New York 1963–1967 Camelot Hotel, Blasdell, New York 1968–1980 Niagara University, Lewiston, New York 1981–1999 State University of New York at Fredonia, Fredonia, New York 2000–present, St. John Fisher University, Pittsford, New York Source:[74] Mascots, cheerleaders and marching band The Bills' official mascot is Billy Buffalo, an eight-foot-tall, anthropomorphic blue American bison who wears the jersey "number" BB. The Bills do not have cheerleaders. The Bills operated a cheerleading squad named the Buffalo Jills from 1967 to 1985; from 1986 to 2013, the Jills operated as an independent organization sponsored by various companies. The Jills suspended operations prior to the 2014 season due to legal actions.[75] The Bills and Jills were previously involved in a legal battle, in which the Jills alleged they were employees, not independent contractors, and sought back pay.[76][77] On March 3, 2022, a settlement was reached where the Bills agreed to pay the Jills $3.5 million, while Cumulus Media paid $4 million in stock options of the company while admitting no wrongdoing.[78] The Bills are one of six teams in the NFL to designate an official marching band or drumline (the others being the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Commanders, New York Jets, Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks). Since the last game of the 2013 season, this position has been served by the Stampede Drumline, known outside of Buffalo as Downbeat Percussion.[79][80] The Bills have several theme songs associated with them. The most popular is a variation of the Isley Brothers hit "Shout", recorded by Scott Kemper,[81] which served as the Bills' official promotional song from 1987 through 1990s. It can be heard at every Bills home game following a field goal or touchdown and at the end of the game if the Bills win. The Bills' unofficial fight song, "Go Bills", was penned by Bills head coach Marv Levy in the mid-1990s on a friendly wager with his players that he will write the song if the team won a particular game.[82] Supporters "Bills Mafia" redirects here. Not to be confused with Buffalo mafia. The "Bills Backers" are the official fan organization of the Buffalo Bills. It has over 200 chapters across North America, Europe and Oceania.[83] Also notable is the "Bills Mafia", organized via Twitter beginning in 2010 by Del Reid, Leslie Wille, and Breyon Harris;[84] the phrase "Bills Mafia" had by 2017 grown to unofficially represent the broad community surrounding and encompassing the team as a whole, and players who join the Bills often speak of joining the Bills Mafia. Outsiders often treat the Bills' fan base in derogatory terms, especially since the 2010s, in part because of negative press coverage of select fans' wilder antics.[85] In 2020, the Bills filed to trademark the "Bills Mafia" name.[86] Bills fans are particularly well known for their wearing of Zubaz zebra-printed sportswear; so much is the association between Bills fans and Zubaz that when a revival of the company opened their first brick-and-mortar storefront, it chose Western New York as its first location.[87] The "wing hat," a hat shaped like a spicy chicken wing (much in the same style as the Green Bay Packers' Cheesehead hats), can also frequently be seen atop Bills fans' heads, having originated as promotional merchandise by the Anchor Bar, the purported inventors of the modern chicken wing as a delicacy.[88] Another hat associated with the Bills fandom is the water buffalo hat, resembling the headgear of the fictional Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes seen in the TV series The Flintstones; this hat gained particular popularity with the Water Buffalo Club 716, a community of over 2,000 Bills supporters from around the world founded in 2021 by Therese Forton-Barnes.[89][90] In 1982, a local grocery store introduced the Whammy Weenie as a promotional item, a maraca-like hot dog-shaped device, painted green (which was not a Bills color, but instead painted as such in reference to a military slang term), that Bills fans were supposed to shake at the team's opponents; Bills owner Ralph Wilson, after having seen a Whammy Weenie dangled in front of his suite in the midst of a disappointing season, ordered the Whammy Weenie to be discontinued due to the double entendre it posed.[91] Bills Mafia members are also well known for jumping off of elevated surfaces (often cars or RVs) into folding tables, in the style of professional wrestlers, during the pre-game tailgate.[92][93] Bills fans are noted for their frequent support for charitable causes.[94] After the Bills received help in breaking their 17-year playoff drought on a last-minute Cincinnati Bengals victory, Bills fans crowdfunded the charities of Bengals players Andy Dalton and Tyler Boyd with hundreds of thousands of dollars as a gesture of thanks.[95][96] Also in 2020, following a November 8 upset win over the Seattle Seahawks led by one of the best career performances by quarterback Josh Allen,[97] news emerged that Allen had elected to take the field after having been given the option to sit out the contest as he had received news of his grandmother's death only the night before. Fans showed support for their team and community by donating nearly $700,000 to the Oishei Children's Hospital, an organization supported by Allen throughout his time in Buffalo.[98][99] Following the Bills' defeat of the Baltimore Ravens in the 2020–21 NFL playoffs and an injury to Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson late in that game, Bills fans crowdfunded his favorite charity, Blessings in a Backpack.[100] The Bills are one of the favorite teams of ESPN announcer Chris Berman, who picked the Bills to reach the Super Bowl nearly every year in the 1990s. Berman often uses the catchphrase "No one circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills!" Berman gave the induction speech for Bills owner Ralph Wilson when Wilson was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2009. The Bills were also the favorite team of late NBC political commentator Tim Russert, a South Buffalo native, who often referred to the Bills on his Sunday morning talk show, Meet the Press. (His son, Luke, is also a notable fan of the team.) CNN's Wolf Blitzer, also a Buffalo native, has proclaimed he is also a fan,[101] as has CBS Evening News lead anchor and Tonawanda native Jeff Glor and DNC Chairman Tom Perez.[102][103] ESPN anchor Kevin Connors is also a noted Bills fan, dating to his time attending Ithaca College. Actor Nick Bakay, a Buffalo native, is also a well-known Bills fan; he has discussed the team in segments of NFL Top 10. Character actor William Fichtner, raised in Cheektowaga, is a fan,[104] and did a commercial for the team in 2014.[105] In 2015, Fichtner also narrated the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary on the Bills' four Super Bowl appearances, "Four Falls of Buffalo". Former Olympic swimmer Summer Sanders (an in-law to former Bills kicker Todd Schlopy) has professed her fandom of the team. Actor Christopher McDonald, who was raised in Romulus, New York, is a fan of the team.[106] Persons notable almost entirely for their Bills fandom include Ken "Pinto Ron" Johnson, whose antics while appearing at every Bills home and away game since 1994 earned enough scrutiny that his tailgate parties were banned from stadium property on order of the league;[107] John Lang, an Elvis impersonator who carries a large guitar that he uses as a billboard;[108] Marc Miller, whose professional wrestling promo-style interview with WGRZ prior to Super Bowl XXVII (distinguished by the line "Dallas is going down, Gary!" and picked up at the time by The George Michael Sports Machine) was rediscovered in 2019;[109] and Ezra Castro, also known as "Pancho Billa," a native of El Paso, Texas who wore a large sombrero and lucha mask in Bills colors. Castro was diagnosed with a spinal tumor that had metastasized in 2017; he was invited on stage during the 2018 NFL Draft to read one of the Bills' selections.[110] Castro died on May 14, 2019.[111] In popular culture Several former Buffalo Bills players earned a name in politics in the late 20th century after their playing careers had ended, nearly always as members of the Republican Party. The most famous of these was quarterback Jack Kemp, who was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Western New York in 1971—two years after his playing career ended and remained there for nearly two decades, serving as the Republican Party nominee for Vice President of the United States under Bob Dole in 1996.[112][113] Kemp's backup, Ed Rutkowski, served as county executive of Erie County from 1979 to 1987.[114] Former tight end Jay Riemersma, defensive tackle Fred Smerlas and defensive end Phil Hansen have all run for Congress, though all three either lost or withdrew from their respective races.[115][116] Quarterback Jim Kelly and running back Thurman Thomas have also both been mentioned[by whom?] as potential candidates for political office, although both have declined all requests to date. See also List of American Football League players Major North American professional sports teams Notes  The New York Giants and New York Jets play at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, despite being named after New York.  The most Super Bowl losses are held by the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots at five, but both have won the championship in their history. The USC Trojans football program represents University of Southern California in the sport of American football. The Trojans compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Pac-12 Conference (Pac-12). Formed in 1888, the program has over 860 wins and claims 11 national championships, including 7 from the major wire-service (AP, Coaches').[2] USC has had 13 undefeated seasons including 8 perfect seasons, and 37 conference championships. USC has produced eight Heisman Trophy winners, 81 first-team Consensus All-Americans, including 27 Unanimous selections, and 519 NFL draft picks, most all-time by any university,[3] USC has had 35 members inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, including former players Matt Leinart, O. J. Simpson, and Ronnie Lott and former coaches John McKay and Howard Jones. The Trojans boast 14 inductees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the most of any school, including Junior Seau, Bruce Matthews, Marcus Allen, and Ron Yary.[4] Among all colleges and universities, as of 2022, USC holds the all-time record for the most quarterbacks (17) and is tied with the University of Miami for the most wide receivers (40) to go on to play in the NFL.[5] The Trojans have 55 bowl appearances, 39 of which are among the New Year's Six Bowls. With a record of 34–21, USC has the third highest all-time post-season winning percentage of schools with 50 or more bowl appearances.[6] The Trojans play their home games in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which is located in Exposition Park adjacent to USC's University Park, Los Angeles campus.[7][8] History See also: List of USC Trojans football seasons and List of Pac-12 Conference football standings 1888–1910s The first USC football squad (1888). Before they were nicknamed the "Trojans", they were known as the USC Methodists USC first fielded a football team in 1888. Playing its first game on November 14 of that year against the Alliance Athletic Club, USC achieved a 16–0 victory. Frank Suffel and Henry H. Goddard were playing coaches for the first team which was put together by quarterback Arthur Carroll, who in turn volunteered to make the pants for the team and later became a tailor.[9] USC faced its first collegiate opponent the following year in fall 1889, playing St. Vincent's College to a 40–0 victory.[9] In 1893, USC joined the Intercollegiate Football Association of Southern California (the forerunner of the SCIAC), which was composed of USC, Occidental College, Throop Polytechnic Institute (Cal Tech), and Chaffey College. Pomona College was invited to enter, but declined to do so. An invitation was also extended to Los Angeles High School.[10] Before they were named Trojans in 1912, USC athletic teams were called the Methodists (occasionally the "Fighting Methodists"), as well as the Wesleyans. During the early years, limitations in travel and the scarcity of major football-playing colleges on the West Coast limited its rivalries to local Southern Californian colleges and universities. During this period USC played regular series against Occidental, Caltech, Whittier, Pomona and Loyola. The first USC team to play outside of Southern California went to Stanford University on November 4, 1905, where they were trampled 16–0 by the traditional West Coast powerhouse. While the teams would not meet again until 1918 (Stanford dropped football for rugby union during the intervening years), this was also USC's first game against a future Pac-12 conference opponent and the beginning of its oldest rivalry. During this period USC also played its first games against other future Pac-12 rivals, including Oregon State (1914), California (1915), Oregon (1915), Arizona (1916) and Utah (1915-1917, 1919). Between 1911 and 1913, USC followed the example of California and Stanford and dropped football in favor of rugby union. The results were disastrous, as USC was soundly defeated by more experienced programs while the school itself experienced financial reverses; it was during this period that Owen R. Bird, a sportswriter for the Los Angeles Times, coined the nickname "Trojans", which he wrote was "owing to the terrific handicaps under which the athletes, coaches and managers of the university were laboring and against the overwhelming odds of larger and better equipped rivals, the name 'Trojan' suitably fitted the players."[9] 1920s–1930s After several decades of competition, USC first achieved national prominence under head coach "Gloomy" Gus Henderson in the early 1920s. Another milestone came under Henderson in 1922, when USC joined the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC), the forerunner of the modern Pac-12. Success continued under coach Howard Jones from 1925 to 1940, when the Trojans were just one of a few nationally dominant teams. It was during this era that the team achieved renown as the "Thundering Herd", earning its first four national titles. 1940s–1950s USC achieved intermittent success in the years following Jones' tenure. Jeff Cravath, who coached from 1942 to 1950, won the Rose Bowl in 1943 and 1945. Jess Hill, who coached from 1951 to 1956, won the Rose Bowl in 1953. From 1957 to 1959, the Trojans were coached by Don Clark. Future Hall of Famer Ron Mix was an All American for the Trojans in 1959. 1960s–1970s The program entered a new golden age upon the arrival of head coach John McKay (1960–1975). During this period the Trojans produced two Heisman Trophy winners (Mike Garrett and O. J. Simpson) and won four national championships (1962, 1967, 1972 and 1974). McKay's influence continued even after he departed for the NFL when an assistant coach, John Robinson (1976–1982), took over as head coach. Under Robinson, USC won another national championship in 1978 (shared with Alabama; ironically, USC defeated Alabama, 24–14, that same season) and USC produced two more running-back Heisman Trophy winners in Charles White and Marcus Allen On September 12, 1970, USC opened the season visiting the University of Alabama under legendary coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and became the first fully integrated team to play in the state of Alabama.[11] The game, scheduled by Bryant, resulted in a dominating 42–21 win by the Trojans. More importantly, all six touchdowns scored by USC team were by black players, two by USC running back Sam "Bam" Cunningham, against an all-white Crimson Tide team.[12] After the game, Bryant was able to persuade the university to allow black players to play, hastening the racial integration of football at Alabama and in the Deep South.[11][13] 1980s–1990s Marcus Allen's retired jersey In the 1980s, USC football did not realize a national championship, though it continued to experience relative success, with top-20 AP rankings and Pac-10 Conference championships under head coaches Ted Tollner (1983–1986) and Larry Smith (1987–1992) Each coach led the team to a win in the Rose Bowl and USC was recognized among the nation's top-ten teams three times. Despite the moderate success of team during these years, some alumni had grown accustomed to the program's stature as a perennial national championship contender. In 1993, Robinson was named head coach a second time, leading the Trojans to a victory in the 1996 Rose Bowl over Northwestern. It was during this time that the Trojans were unable to defeat their rivals. They suffered winless streaks of 13 years (1983–1995, including the 1994 17–17 tie) to rival Notre Dame and 8 years (1991–1998) to crosstown rival UCLA which were unacceptable to many USC supporters. Under Robinson the Trojans were 2–2–1 against Notre Dame, but unable to beat UCLA. After posting a 6–6 record in 1996, and a 6–5 record in 1997, Robinson was fired. In 1998, head coach Paul Hackett took over the team, but posted an even more disappointing 19–18 record in three seasons than any of his recent predecessors. By 2000, some observers surmised that USC football's days of national dominance were fading; the football team's record of 37–35 from 1996 to 2001 was their second-worst over any five-year span in history (only the mark of 29–29–2 from 1956 to 1961 was worse), and the period marked the first and only time USC had been out of the final top 20 teams for four straight years. 2000s This article may be too long to read and navigate comfortably. Please consider splitting content into sub-articles, condensing it, or adding subheadings. Please discuss this issue on the article's talk page. (December 2018) 2001 Carson Palmer's Heisman Trophy In 2001, athletic director Mike Garrett released Hackett and hired Pete Carroll, a former NFL head coach. Carroll went 6–6 in his first year, losing to Utah in the Las Vegas Bowl, 10–6. After that, his teams became highly successful, ranking among the top ten teams in the country, with the exception of 2009 in which the team lost four regular season games. 2002 USC opened 3–2 in 2002, suffering losses to Kansas State and Washington State. However, the Trojans went on to win the rest of their games, completing the regular season 11–2 on the strength of senior quarterback Carson Palmer's breakout performance. After struggling for most of his collegiate career, Palmer excelled in the Pro Style offense installed by new offensive coordinator Norm Chow. In fact, Palmer's performance, particularly in the season-ending rivalry games against Notre Dame and UCLA, impressed so many pundits that he went on to win the Heisman Trophy, carrying every region of voting and becoming the first USC quarterback to be so honored. Despite tying for the Pac-10 title (with Washington State), having the highest BCS "strength of schedule" rating, and fielding the nation's top defense led by safety Troy Polamalu, USC finished the season ranked No. 5 in the BCS rankings. Facing off against BCS No. 3 Iowa in the Orange Bowl, USC defeated the Hawkeyes 38–17. 2003 In 2003, highly touted but unproven redshirt sophomore Matt Leinart took over the quarterback position from Palmer. Although his first pass went for a touchdown in a win over Auburn, the Trojans suffered an early season triple-overtime loss to their conference rival the California Golden Bears in Berkeley. After the Loss to California, USC went on a 10-game winning streak and finished the season with a record of 11–1. Before the postseason, both the coaches' poll and the AP Poll ranked USC number 1, but the BCS—which also gave consideration to computer rankings—ranked Oklahoma first, another one-loss team but one that had lost its own Big 12 Conference title game 35–7, with USC ranked third. In the 2003 BCS National Championship Game, the Sugar Bowl, BCS No. 2 LSU defeated BCS No. 1 Oklahoma 21–14. Meanwhile, BCS No. 3 USC defeated BCS No. 4 Michigan 28–14 in the Rose Bowl. USC finished the season ranked No. 1 in the AP poll and was awarded the AP National Championship; LSU, however, won the BCS National Championship title for that year, prompting a split national title between LSU and USC. In the wake of the controversy, corporate sponsors emerged who were willing to organize an LSU-USC game to settle the matter; nevertheless, the NCAA refused to permit the matchup. 2004 Pete Carroll at the USC 2004 national championship award rally Wikinews has related news: NCAA Football: USC banned from bowl games for two seasons, wins vacated In 2004, USC was picked preseason No. 1 by the Associated Press, thanks to the return of Leinart as well as sophomore running backs LenDale White and Reggie Bush. The defense—led by All-American defensive tackles Shaun Cody and Mike Patterson, as well as All-American linebackers Lofa Tatupu and Matt Grootegoed—was considered to be among the finest in the nation. Key questions included the offensive line, with few returning starters, and the receiving corps, which had lost previous year's senior Keary Colbert and the breakout star of 2003, Mike Williams. Williams had tried to enter the NFL draft a year early during the Maurice Clarett trial when it was ruled that the NFL could not deny them entering the draft. The decision was appealed and overturned leaving Williams unable to enter the draft. When he applied to the NCAA for reinstatement of his eligibility, it was denied. Despite close calls against Stanford and California, the Trojans finished the regular season undefeated and headed for the 2004 BCS Championship Game at the Orange Bowl. USC was the second team in NCAA football history to have gone wire-to-wire (ranked first place from preseason to postseason since the AP began releasing preseason rankings); the first was Florida State in 1999 (two other schools went wire-to-wire before the existence of preseason polls - Notre Dame in 1943 and Army in 1945). Quarterback Leinart won the Heisman Trophy, with running back Bush placing fifth in the vote tally. The Trojans' opponent in the Orange Bowl, Oklahoma, were themselves undefeated and captained by sixth-year quarterback Jason White, who had won the Heisman in 2003; the game marked the first time in NCAA history that two players who had already won the Heisman played against each other. Most analysts expected the game to be close—as USC matched its speed and defense against the Oklahoma running game and skilled offensive line—but the reality proved to be far different. USC scored 38 points in the first half, and won the BCS National Championship Game by the score of 55–19, making them the BCS Champions and earning the team the AP National Championship as well. In June 2010, after a four-year investigation, the NCAA imposed sanctions against the Trojan football program for a "lack of institutional control," including a public reprimand and censure, a two-year postseason ban, a loss of 30 scholarships over three years, and vacating all games in which Reggie Bush participated as an ineligible player (14 wins, 1 loss), including the 2005 Orange Bowl, in which the Trojans won the BCS National Championship.[14] These sanctions have been criticized by some NCAA football writers,[15][16][17][18][19] including ESPN's Ted Miller, who wrote, "It's become an accepted fact among informed college football observers that the NCAA sanctions against USC were a travesty of justice, and the NCAA's refusal to revisit that travesty are a massive act of cowardice on the part of the organization."[20] Following the NCAA sanctions, BCS Executive Director Bill Hancock stated that a committee would decide whether to vacate USC's 2004 BCS Championship, but the final decision would be delayed until after the NCAA had heard USC's appeals against some of the sanctions.[21] On July 20, 2010, incoming USC president Max Nikias stated that the school would remove jerseys and murals displayed in Bush's honor from its facilities, and would return the school's copy of Bush's Heisman Trophy.[22] On September 14, Bush announced that he would forfeit the Heisman and return his copy of the trophy.[23] On May 26, 2011, the NCAA upheld all findings and penalties against USC. The team did not participate in the Pac-12 Football Championship Game or a bowl game during the 2011–12 season.[24] The BCS announced June 6, 2011, that it had stripped USC of the 2004 title,[25] but the Associated Press still recognizes USC as the 2004 AP National Champion.[26] 2005 The 2005 regular season witnessed a resuscitation of the rivalry with Notre Dame, after a last-second play in which senior quarterback Matt Leinart scored the winning touchdown with help from a controversial push from behind by running back Reggie Bush, nicknamed the "Bush Push". The year climaxed with a 66–19 USC defeat of cross-town rival UCLA. Running back Reggie Bush finished his stellar year by winning the Heisman Trophy (later returned by USC and reclaimed by the Heisman Trophy Trust considering Bush accepted improper benefits while at USC and was ineligible during the 2005 season),[23][27] while Leinart finished third in the Heisman voting. Several other players also earned accolades, being named All-Americans (AP, Football Coaches, Football Writers, Walter Camp, ESPN.com, SI.com, CBS Sportsline.com, Rivals.com, Collegefootballnews.com). These include QB Matt Leinart, RB Reggie Bush, RB LenDale White, S Darnell Bing, OT Taitusi Lutui, OT Sam Baker, WR Dwayne Jarrett, C Ryan Kalil, OG Fred Matua, and DE Lawrence Jackson. Additionally, OL Winston Justice did well enough to forgo his senior year and enter the NFL draft. The regular season ended with two clear-cut contenders facing off in the Rose Bowl to decide the national championship. Both USC and Texas were 12–0 entering the game; although USC was the slight favorite,[28] USC lost to Texas 41–38.[29] As with the 2004 season, later NCAA investigations into alleged improper benefits given to Reggie Bush altered the official record of the 2005 Trojan season. All twelve wins from the 2005 season were officially vacated. 2006 For the 2006 football season, USC tried to rebuild its strength following the loss of offensive stalwarts Leinart, Bush, and White, defensive leader Bing, and offensive linemen Matua, Justice, and Lutui. The Trojans developed their offense using unproven QB John David Booty and returning star receivers Dwayne Jarrett and Steve Smith along with second-year wide-out Patrick Turner. Mark Sanchez, the highly touted QB of the recruiting class of 2005 (Mission Viejo High School) was widely viewed as a dark horse to win the starting job from Booty, although Booty was named the starter at the end of fall training camp. The starting tailback position was initially a battle between returning players Chauncey Washington and Desmond Reed (both recovering from injuries) and heralded recruits Stafon Johnson (Dorsey High School in Los Angeles), C.J. Gable, Allen Bradford and Emmanuel Moody. The Coliseum during a 2006 USC game USC had many experienced players as well, including linebacker Dallas Sartz and wide receiver Chris McFoy, who had already graduated with their bachelor's degrees and were pursuing master's degrees. Fullback Brandon Hancock would have been part of that group as well until an injury ended his collegiate career. Additionally, fifth-year (redshirt) senior linebacker Oscar Lua, running back Ryan Powdrell and offensive lineman Kyle Williams were expected to either start or play frequently in 2006. The 2006 Trojans came out strong, easily defending their top 10 status throughout the year. As the season progressed, USC began to display marked inconsistencies, as their margins of victory began to slip. The first setback proved to be a 31–33 loss to unranked Oregon State, in which the Beavers were able to repeatedly capitalize on several Trojan turnovers.[30] Even though USC dropped initially in the polls, they worked their way back up. After defeating both Cal and Notre Dame, they held the number 2 spot heading into the final week of the season. The Trojans were considered to be a virtual lock for the BCS National Championship Game against Ohio State and just needed to beat UCLA. USC was shocked in the final game of the season, losing to crosstown rival UCLA 13–9. This eliminated the Trojans from championship contention and opened the door for Florida to become Ohio State's opponent. The Trojans did earn a Rose Bowl bid and defeated Michigan 32–18. It was the Trojans' fifth straight BCS Bowl appearance. On January 6, 2007, six days after the Rose Bowl Game, USC kicker Mario Danelo was found dead at the bottom of the White Point Cliff near Point Fermin Lighthouse in San Pedro, California.[31] 2007 In July 2007, ESPN.com named USC its No. 1 team of the decade for the period between 1996 and 2006, citing the Trojans' renaissance and dominance under Carroll.[32][33] The 2007 Trojans were the presumptive No. 1 pick before the season.[34][35] However, they lost two games, including a major upset to 41-point underdog Stanford, and they did not get into the national championship game. However, the Trojans did win their sixth conference championship and defeated Illinois in the 2008 Rose Bowl Game. Under Carroll, USC was known to attract numerous celebrities to its practices, including USC alumni Will Ferrell, George Lucas, LeVar Burton, and Sophia Bush as well as Snoop Dogg, Henry Winkler, Kirsten Dunst, Nick Lachey, Dr. Dre, Spike Lee, Alyssa Milano, Flea, Wilmer Valderrama, Jake Gyllenhaal and Andre 3000.[36] The Trojans benefited from Los Angeles's lack of NFL teams (with the Los Angeles Rams and Raiders having left in the early 1990s), combined with the Trojans' 21st century success, leading them to sometimes be called LA's "de facto NFL team."[37] During Pete Carroll's first eight years as head coach, USC lost only one game by more than seven points, a 27–16 loss at Notre Dame in his first season, until the second half of the 2009 season. The early part of the 2000s also saw the rise of USC football's popularity in the Los Angeles market: without any stadium expansions, USC broke its average home attendance record four times in a row: reaching 77,804 in 2003, 85,229 in 2004, 90,812 in 2005 and over 91,416 with one game to go in 2006 (the capacity of the Coliseum is 92,000). As of 2022, USC is one of only two of the 131 Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) teams to have never played a Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) team since the split of Division I football in 1978.[38] 2008 Coach Carroll at the pre-game "Trojan Walk" After beating Penn State in the Rose Bowl, USC finished the season 12–1, and ranked No. 2 in the Coaches' Poll and No. 3 in the AP Poll. The 2008 season culminated in USC's seventh straight Pac-10 Championship, seventh straight BCS bowl appearance and seventh straight finish in the top 4 of the AP Poll. This also marked seven consecutive seasons where USC has not lost a game by more than 7 points. Their only loss was on the road against Oregon State, which was mentioned in the preseason as a possible upset.[39][40] 2009 After beating Boston College in the Emerald Bowl, USC finished the season 9–4, and ranked No. 20 in the Coaches' Poll and No. 22 in the AP Poll. USC ended its seven-year streak of Pac-10 Championship, BCS bowl appearance and top 4 finish of the AP Poll. The Trojans started the season strong beating No. 8 Ohio State at The Horseshoe. But they would lose to four Pac-10 teams (Washington, Oregon, Stanford, and Arizona). Blowout losses to Oregon 47–20 and Stanford 55–21 marked a turning point in USC's season and sparked debate in the media about the future dominance of USC football. After the season concluded, head coach Pete Carroll resigned to accept a head coaching position with the Seattle Seahawks. In 2009, USC was named "Team of the Decade" by both CBSSports.com and Football.com, as well as the "Program of the Decade" by SI.com, plus was No. 1 in CollegeFootballNews.com's "5-Year Program Rankings" and was ranked No. 2 in ESPN.com's "Prestige Rankings" among all schools since 1936 (behind Oklahoma).[41] Additionally, in 2009, ESPN.com ranked USC the second-best program in college football history. 2010s 2010 On January 12, 2010, Lane Kiffin was hired as the head coach. This came following Pete Carroll's departure from USC to become the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.[42] In June 2010, after a prolonged four-year investigation into whether former USC running back Reggie Bush and his family had accepted financial benefits and housing from two sports agents in San Diego while he was a student athlete at USC, the NCAA imposed sanctions against the Trojan football program for a "lack of institutional control," including a two-year postseason ban, the loss of 30 scholarships over three years, and the vacation of all wins in which Bush participated as an "ineligible" player, including the 2005 Orange Bowl, in which the Trojans won the BCS National Championship.[14] These sanctions have been criticized by many NCAA football writers,[15][16][17][18][19] including ESPN's Ted Miller, who wrote, "It's become an accepted fact among informed college football observers that the NCAA sanctions against USC were a travesty of justice, and the NCAA's refusal to revisit that travesty are a massive act of cowardice on the part of the organization."[20] The 2010 team finished 8–5 (5–4 in the Pac-10) and was ineligible for post-season play. 2011 On February 9, 2010, Commissioner Larry Scott announced that the Pac-10 would be considering expanding to twelve schools.[43] The Pac-10 Conference officially became the Pac-12 Conference following the addition of Colorado and Utah on July 1, 2011. In 2011, although USC finished in first place in its conference division with a 7–2 record, due to their ineligibility to participate in a bowl game, the UCLA Bruins became champions of the inaugural Pac-12 South Division.[44] In the final regular-season game, USC's 50–0 win over UCLA was the largest margin of victory in the rivalry since 1930. The release of the December 4, 2011, final regular-season Associated Press college football poll marked USC's return to national prominence with the No. 5 ranking.[45] The Trojans were not eligible for postseason play and did not participate in any Bowl game. When the final AP Football Poll was released, USC dropped one spot to the No. 6 ranking. 2012 USC was ranked number one in The Associated Press' preseason college football poll for the seventh time in school history and the first time in five seasons, edging out No. 2 Alabama and No. 3 LSU.[46] However, the early season expectations would backfire as the Trojans would eventually finish 7–5 (5–4 versus Pac-12 opponents), including losses to all three of their major rivals (Notre Dame, UCLA, and Stanford) all in the same year for the first time since 1992. The team finished second in the Pac-12 South standings and unranked in any poll. 2013 The 2013 USC Trojans football team finished the season 10–4, 6–3 in Pac-12 play to finish in a tie for second place in the South Division. They were invited to the Las Vegas Bowl where they defeated Fresno State. Head coach Lane Kiffin, who was in his fourth year, was fired on September 29 after a 3–2 start to the season. He was replaced by interim head coach Ed Orgeron. At the end of the regular season, Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian was hired as the new head coach beginning in 2014. This prompted Orgeron to resign before the bowl game. Clay Helton led the Trojans in the Las Vegas Bowl. 2014 Steve Sarkisian, in his first year as head coach at USC, led the Trojans to a 9–4 season (6–3 in the Pac-12) to finish in a three-way tie for second place in the South Division. They were invited to the Holiday Bowl where they defeated Nebraska 45-42.[47] On September 8, 2014, Sarkisian and athletic director Pat Haden were reprimanded by Pac-12 Conference commissioner Larry Scott for attempting "to influence the officiating, and ultimately the outcome of a contest" during the game against Stanford two days earlier.[48] 2015 The 2015 season was a tumultuous one for the Trojans with a season record of 8–4 overall and 6–3 in Pac-12 play to finish as Pac-12 Southern Conference champions. Mid-season, coach Steve Sarkisian was fired to deal with personal issues, and Clay Helton was again named the interim head coach. ESPN later reported that Sarkisian came to a pre-practice meeting, appearing to be intoxicated. According to Scott Wolf, the USC beat writer for the Los Angeles Daily News, several players smelled alcohol on Sarkisian's breath.[49] The Trojans had lost to Stanford and Washington under Sarkisian. Under Helton, USC lost to Notre Dame, but then rallied to win the next four games. A loss to Oregon left the South Division conference championship to be decided by the USC-UCLA game; USC won 40–21. USC played in its first-ever Pac-12 Conference championship game, losing to Stanford (41–22) after the Cardinal (8-1 in Pac-12, 9-2 overall) locked up the North Division title, its third in four years, with its victory over California. USC went on to lose the 2015 Holiday Bowl 23–21 to the Wisconsin Badgers. Zach Banner started all 14 games at tackle, was First Team All-Pac-12, and won USC's Offensive Lineman of the Year Award after allowing only nine total pressures on 426 pass attempts, according to Pro Football Focus, which graded him as the season's top pass-blocking right tackle.[50][51][52] On December 7, Sarkisian filed a $30 million termination lawsuit against USC.[25] 2016 The 2016 USC Trojans football season marked Clay Helton's first full season as USC head coach. The team finished the season 10–3, (7–2 Pac-12), finishing as the runner-up of the South Division title and as Rose Bowl champions. After a 1–3 start during the month of September that featured losses to teams such as No. 1 Alabama, No. 7 Stanford, and No. 24 Utah, the Trojans began a nine-game winning streak to end their season. Some notable wins include victories over No. 21 Colorado, No. 4 Washington, and No. 5 Penn State in the Rose Bowl. Sam Darnold, a redshirt freshman quarterback, became the starter over Max Browne (1–2 record as starting QB) a few days before the Utah game. With that, the Trojans received much-needed stability after years of turmoil and coaching changes. The season was capped off with a dramatic 52–49 win in the Rose Bowl over Penn State, their first Rose Bowl victory in 8 years. USC finished No. 3 in the final AP polls for the season. Zach Banner, captain of the team, was again All-Pac-12 first-team, was CollegeSportsMadness.com All American first-team, Senior CLASS Award All-American first-team, Phil Steele All-Pac-12 first-team, a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award (given to the nation's top senior excelling in community/classroom/character/competition), and was the team's Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year.[51][53] 2017 Entering the season, the Trojans were ranked No. 4 in the AP Poll's preseason rankings. They finished the season 11–3, 8–1 in Pac-12, to be champions of the South Division. They represented the South Division in the Pac-12 Championship Game where they defeated Stanford to become Pac-12 Champions.[54] They were invited to play in the Cotton Bowl against Ohio State, but lost 24–7. In the final AP poll, they were ranked No. 12.[55] Notable players to depart to the NFL include Sam Darnold and Ronald Jones II.[56] Darnold is the 5th USC quarterback to be drafted in the first round of the NFL since 1967.[56] 2018 Through ranked No. 15 in the AP Poll's preseason rankings, the Trojans finished the season 5–7, (4–5 Pac-12), the program's first losing record since 2000 where they held the same record.[57] USC lost to both of its major rivals, UCLA and Notre Dame, in the same season for the first time since 2013, and it also lost to all other California Pac-12 schools (UCLA, California, and Stanford) in the same season for the first time since 1996.[57] They tied Arizona for third place in the Pac-12 South Division.[57] On November 25, USC athletic director Lynn Swann announced that head coach Clay Helton would return in 2019.[58] 2019 The Trojans finished the regular season 8–4, (7–2 Pac-12), holding second place in the Pac-12's South Division. USC was 2–3 against ranked teams. Following the regular season, they lost to the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Holiday Bowl 24–49.[59] 2020s 2020 On September 24, the conference announced that a six-game conference-only season would begin on November 6 with the conference's championship game to be played on December 18 after initially announcing in August that all fall sports competitions were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[60] Teams not selected for the championship game would be seeded to play a seventh game.[61] The Trojans finished the regular season with a 5–0 record, and qualified for the Pac-12 Championship Game, which they lost to Oregon 24–31. The following day, USC announced that it would not play in any bowl game, ending the season with an overall 5–1 record.[62] 2021 The Trojans were led by sixth-year head coach Clay Helton in the first two games. Helton was subsequently fired on September 13 following the team's 42–28 loss to Stanford.[63] Associate head coach Donte Williams took over as the team's interim head coach.[63] They finished the 2021 season with 4–8, their worst record since 1991 where they went 3–8.[64] They were not bowl eligible for the second time in 4 years (they were not bowl eligible the 2018 season after finishing with a 5-7 record). 2022 On November 28, 2021, Lincoln Riley was named the 30th head coach coming off of a five year stint at Oklahoma. First-year offensive coordinator Josh Henson and first-year defensive coordinator Alex Grinch[65] are both intended to coach alongside him for the season. As of February 28, USC's recruiting class was ranked 65th among NCAA D1 schools.[66] A notable incoming transfer is QB Caleb Williams, who reunites with Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma.[67] The Trojans went on to improve dramatically over their 2021 season, going from finishing 4-8, to 10-1, and being ranked #5 in the AP poll as of Week 12. During Lincoln Riley's inaugural season, the Trojans racked up wins against Rice 66-14, Stanford 41-28, Fresno State 45-17, Oregon State 17-14, Arizona State 42-25, and Washington State 30-14 before losing a close match to #20 ranked Utah 43-42. After this setback, the Trojans would bounce back and go on to beat Arizona 45-37, California 41-35, Colorado 55-17, and #16 ranked UCLA 48-45, clinching them a spot in the Pac-12 Championship. 2023 USC football started their last year in the Pac-12 ranked #6 in the pre-season AP Poll.[68] The team, under the coaching guidance of Lincoln Riley, and with the second year of on field leadership by quarterback Caleb Williams won four games (San Jose State, Nevada, Stanford, and Arizona State) by impressive margins with over 40 offensive points on the board resulting in a bump in the polls to #5. The next two games against Colorado and Arizona were still wins with over 40 offensive points, but the win margins were squashed to only 7 and 2 points resulting in a slip to #10. USC lost five of the next six games, ending the season outside the top 25 with an overall record of 7-5 and a conference record of 5-4. Entering the season Williams was the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy for the second year in a row, but after a disappointing second half of the season he was eliminated from contention leading into the December ceremony.[69] USC will play #16 Louisville Cardinals in the Holiday Bowl without Williams who will not play and instead is turning his focus on the NFL draft.[70] Conference affiliations Independent (1888–1921) Pac-12 Conference (1922–2023) Pacific Coast Conference (1922–1958) Athletic Association of Western Universities (1959–1967) Pacific-8 Conference (1968–1977) Pacific-10 Conference (1978–2010) Pac-12 Conference (2011–2023) Big 10 (2024-present) Championships National championships USC has won 17 national championships from NCAA-designated major selectors.[71]: 112–115  USC claims 11 national titles,[72] including 7 from the major wire-service AP Poll and/or Coaches' Poll. Two of USC's championships, 1928 and 1939, are based on the Dickinson System, a formula devised by a University of Illinois professor that awarded national championships between 1926 and 1940. The Dickinson System is cited in the Official 2010 NCAA FBS Record Book as a legitimate national title selector.[73] USC's claim is consistent with other FBS programs that won the Dickinson title. In 2004, USC recognized the 1939 squad as one of their national championship teams.[74][75][76] The 2004 team was forced to vacate the final two games of its season, including the 2005 Orange Bowl due to NCAA sanctions incurred as a result of loss of institutional control, and namely, in connection with Reggie Bush. USC appealed the sanctions, delaying consideration of vacating USC's 2004 championship by the BCS. Ultimately, USC lost the appeals and forfeited the 2004 BCS championship.[77] The AP did not vacate its 2004 championship, hence the Trojans retain a share of the national title.[77] Year Coach Selectors Record Bowl Final AP Final Coaches 1928 Howard Jones Dickinson System, Sagarin 9–0–1 – – – 1931 Berryman, Billingsley, Boand, Dickinson, Dunkel, Helms, Houlgate, Football Research, NCF, Poling, Sagarin, Sagarin (ELOChess), Williamson 10–1 Won Rose – – 1932 Berryman, Billingsley, Boand, Dunkel, Football Research, Helms, Houlgate, NCF, Parke Davis, Poling, Sagarin, Williamson 10–0 Won Rose – – 1939 Dickinson 8–0–2 Won Rose No. 3 – 1962 John McKay AP, Berryman, DeVold, Dunkel, FB News, Football Research, FWAA, Helms, NCF, NFF, Poling, UPI (coaches), Williamson 11–0 Won Rose No. 1 No. 1 1967 AP, Berryman, Billingsley, DeVold, FB News, Football Research, FW, Helms, Matthews, NCF, NFF, Sagarin, Sagarin (ELO-Chess), UPI (coaches) 10–1 Won Rose No. 1 No. 1 1972 AP, Berryman, Billingsley, DeVold, Dunkel, FACT, FB News, Football Research, FW, Helms, Litkenhous, Matthews, NCF, NFF, Poling, Sagarin, Sagarin (ELO-Chess), UPI (coaches) 12–0 Won Rose No. 1 No. 1 1974 FW, Helms, NCF, NFF, UPI (coaches) 10–1–1 Won Rose No. 2 No. 1 1978 John Robinson Berryman, Billingsley, FACT, FB News, Helms, NCF, Sagarin (ELO-Chess), Sporting News, UPI (coaches) 12–1 Won Rose No. 2 No. 1 2003 Pete Carroll AP, CCR,[78] Eck, FW, Matthews, NY Times, Sporting News 12–1 Won Rose No. 1 No. 2 2004 Anderson & Hester, AP, Berryman, Billingsley, CCR, Colley Matrix, DeVold, Dunkel, Eck, Massey, Matthews, NFF, NY Times, Rothman, Sporting News, Sagarin, Williamson Vacated †: BCS,[77] FWAA,[79] USA Today/ESPN (coaches) 13–0 † Won Orange Bowl (BCS National Championship Game) † No. 1 † ^Claimed national championships - USC claims the 1928, 1931, 1932, 1939, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978, 2003, and 2004 championships.[72] † The FWAA stripped USC of its 2004 Grantland Rice Trophy and vacated the selection of its national champion for 2004. The BCS also vacated USC's participation in the 2005 Orange Bowl and USC's 2004 BCS National Championship, and the AFCA Coaches' Poll Trophy was returned.[80][81] In addition to the Orange Bowl victory over Oklahoma, the 2004 regular season finale win against UCLA was also vacated, making the official record of 2004 USC Trojans 11-0. Conference championships USC has won 39 conference championships, all within the Pac-12 Conference or its predecessors. The 2004 and 2005 championships were vacated.[82] 1927†, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1938†, 1939, 1943, 1944, 1945, 1947, 1952, 1959†, 1962, 1964†, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1987†, 1988, 1989, 1993†, 1995†, 2002†, 2003, 2004^, 2005^, 2006†, 2007†, 2008, 2017 † Co-championship ^ Vacated due to NCAA penalty Division championships USC has won 4 division championships, all in the South division of the Pac-12.[82] Season Division Coach Opponent CG result 2015† Pac-12 South Steve Sarkisian / Clay Helton Stanford L 22–41 2017 Pac-12 South Clay Helton Stanford W 31–28 2020 Pac-12 South Clay Helton Oregon L 24–31 2022 Pac-12 South Lincoln Riley Utah L 24–47 † Co-championship Bowl games Main article: List of USC Trojans bowl games USC has a bowl game record of 34–21 through the 2022 season.[83] The Trojans appeared in 34 Rose Bowls, winning 25, both records for the bowl. These are also the most times a team has appeared in or won any bowl game. USC was banned from entering a bowl during either the 2010 or 2011 seasons as part of the extremely extensive sanctions resulting from the University of Southern California athletics scandal. Below is the list of USC's ten most recent bowl appearances. USC's last 10 bowl games Bowl Score Date Season Opponent Stadium Location Attendance Head coach Rose Bowl W 38–24 January 1, 2009 2008 Penn State Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 93,293 Pete Carroll Emerald Bowl W 24–13 December 26, 2009 2009 Boston College AT&T Park San Francisco, CA 40,121 Pete Carroll Sun Bowl L 7–21 December 31, 2012 2012 Georgia Tech Sun Bowl Stadium El Paso, TX 47,922 Lane Kiffin Las Vegas Bowl W 45–20 December 21, 2013 2013 Fresno State Sam Boyd Stadium Las Vegas, NV 42,178 Clay Helton Holiday Bowl W 45–42 December 27, 2014 2014 Nebraska Qualcomm Stadium San Diego, CA 55,789 Steve Sarkisian Holiday Bowl L 21–23 December 30, 2015 2015 Wisconsin Qualcomm Stadium San Diego, CA 48,329 Clay Helton Rose Bowl W 52–49 January 2, 2017 2016 Penn State Rose Bowl Pasadena, CA 95,128 Clay Helton Cotton Bowl Classic L 7–24 December 29, 2017 2017 Ohio State AT&T Stadium Arlington, TX 67,510 Clay Helton Holiday Bowl L 24–49 December 27, 2019 2019 Iowa SDCCU Stadium San Diego, CA 50,123 Clay Helton Cotton Bowl Classic L 45–46 January 2, 2023 2022 Tulane AT&T Stadium Arlington, TX 55,329 Lincoln Riley Holiday Bowl W 42–28 December 27, 2023 2023 Louisville PetCo Park San Diego, CA Lincoln Riley Head coaches USC head coaches from 1888 to present.[84] No. Coach Years Record 1, 2 Henry H. Goddard & Frank H. Suffel 1888 2–0 No coach 1889, 1891–1896 7–7–1 3 Lewis R. Freeman 1897 5–1 No coach 1898–1900 8–5–3 4 Clair S. Tappaan 1901 0–1 5 John Walker 1903 4–2 6 Harvey Holmes 1904–1907 19–5–3 7 William I. Traeger 1908 3–1–1 8, 10 Dean Cromwell 1909–1910, 1916–1918 21–8–6 9 Ralph Glaze 1914–1915 7–7 11 Gus Henderson 1919–1924 45–7 12 Howard Jones 1925–1940 121–36–13 13 Sam Barry 1941 2–6–1 14 Jeff Cravath 1942–1950 54–28–8 15 Jess Hill 1951–1956 45–17–1 16 Don Clark 1957–1959 13–16–1 17 John McKay 1960–1975 127–40–8 18, 21 John Robinson 1976–1982, 1993–1997 104–35–4 19 Ted Tollner 1983–1986 26–20–1 20 Larry Smith 1987–1992 44–25–3 22 Paul Hackett 1998–2000 19–18 23 Pete Carroll 2001–2009 83–18 † 24 Lane Kiffin 2010–2013 28–15 25 Ed Orgeron 2013 6–2 26, 28 Clay Helton 2013 (bowl), 2015–2021 46–24 27 Steve Sarkisian 2014–2015 12–6 29 Donte Williams 2021 4-8 30 Lincoln Riley 2022–present 18-8 † Does not include 14 wins and 1 loss vacated due to NCAA penalty[84] In 2013, Kiffin was fired after first 5 games, Orgeron served as interim head coach for next 8 games before resigning and Helton was interim head coach for bowl game. In 2015, Sarkisian was fired after first 5 games and Helton was interim head coach for next 7 games before becoming permanent head coach. In 2021, Helton was fired after first 2 games and Williams will serve as interim head coach for next 10 games. Coaching staff USC Trojans Name Position Consecutive season at USC in current position Previous position Josh Henson Offensive coordinator / offensive line 1st Texas A&M – Offensive line (2019–2021) Alex Grinch Defensive coordinator / safeties 1st Oklahoma – Defensive coordinator / safeties (2019–2021) Dennis Simmons Assistant head coach / offensive passing game coordinator / outside wide receivers 1st Oklahoma – Assistant head coach / passing game coordinator / outside receivers (2021) Luke Huard Interim inside wide receivers 1st Texas A&M – Offensive analyst (2019–2021) Kiel McDonald Running backs 1st Utah – Running backs (2017–2021) Zach Hanson Tight ends 1st Tulsa – Offensive line (2020–2021) Roy Manning Outside linebackers / nickels / assistant head coach for defense 1st Oklahoma – Cornerbacks (2019–2021) Brian Odom Inside linebackers / associate head coach for defense 1st Oklahoma – Inside linebackers (2019–2021) Shaun Nua Defensive line 1st Michigan – Defensive line (2019–2021) Donte Williams Defensive backs / defensive passing game coordinator 1st USC – Interim head coach / defensive passing game coordinator / cornerbacks (2021) Bennie Wylie Director of football sports performance 1st Oklahoma – Director of sports performance (2018–2021) Reference:[85] Traditions The USC Song Girls are making the traditional "V"-for-victory hand sign Tailback U USC is sometimes called "Tailback U" (Tailback University) because a number of running backs who played for the Trojans won the Heisman Trophy.[86] These running backs include Mike Garrett (1965), O. J. Simpson (1968), Charles White (1979), Marcus Allen (1981), and Reggie Bush (2005). "Fight On" "Fight On" is the fight song of the USC Trojans. The term "Fight On" is also used as a battle cry, often with the two finger "V" salute for Victory given in accompaniment.[87] The V gesture has its origins with the ancient Trojans, who would cut off the index and middle finger of soldiers they conquered so the conquered could no longer wield a sword in battle.[88] Jersey No. 55 "Tradition surrounds certain numbers at USC, most notably 55," wrote Gary Klein of the Los Angeles Times.[89] "Junior Seau, Willie McGinest, Chris Claiborne and Keith Rivers," he added, "are among the linebackers who have worn a number that Trojans coaches have been careful to distribute." Wrote Andy Kamenetzky of ESPN.com in an article titled "Tradition of elite linebackers alive in 55," "Membership, along with the hallowed No. 55 jersey, has been offered to a select few over the past few decades. Names such as Junior Seau. Keith Rivers. Willie McGinest. Chris Claiborne. Names forever etched in USC lore."[90] Rivalries In the first 30 years of USC football, the school maintained rivalries with local Southern California schools like Occidental and Pomona, but these ended by the 1920s when USC joined the PCC and grew into a national caliber team.[91] "Perfect Day" A "Perfect Day" (a phrase created by the school's football announcer Pete Arbogast) to any USC fan is a USC win coupled with losses by UCLA and Notre Dame.[92] There have been 64 "Perfect Days" since the first one occurred in 1921. Perfect days have been possible since 1919, when UCLA began playing football. The most recent perfect day occurred on September 23, 2023, when USC defeated Arizona State, UCLA lost to Utah, and Notre Dame lost to Ohio State. Notre Dame The First Jeweled Shillelagh Main article: Notre Dame–USC football rivalry USC plays Notre Dame each year, with the winner keeping the Jeweled Shillelagh. The inter-sectional game has featured more national championship teams, Heisman trophy winners, All-Americans, and future NFL hall-of-famers than any other collegiate match-up. The two schools have played the game annually since 1926 (except for years 1943–1945 when World War II travel restrictions kept the game from being played or 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Unlike most rivalry games, the game enjoys neither the possibility of acquiring regional "bragging rights" nor the import of intra-league play. The game has been referred to as the greatest inter-sectional rivalry in college football.[93][94][95][96][97] Notre Dame leads the series 50–36–5 through the 2022 season.[98] UCLA USC in possession of the Victory Bell. Main article: UCLA–USC rivalry USC's rivalry with UCLA is unusual in that they are one of a few pairs of Division I FBS programs that share a major city, as well as conference. Both are located within the Los Angeles city limits, approximately 10 miles (16 km) apart. Until 1982, the two schools also shared the same stadium: the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The crosstown rivals play each year for city bragging rights and the Victory Bell; and often for the right to go to the Rose Bowl as representative for the Pac-12. The UCLA rivalry tends to draw the focus of student supporters since many USC students have friends or family members attending "that other school" (of course, many UCLA students refer to their USC friends in the same manner) and many Southern California families are divided between Trojan Cardinal and Bruin Blue. The annual matchup always has both teams wearing their traditional home uniforms, featuring a Cardinal vs Blue matchup. USC leads the all-time series 50–33–7 through the 2022 season.[99] Stanford Main article: Stanford–USC football rivalry USC-UCLA Lexus Gauntlet. Stanford is USC's oldest rival,[100] in a series that dates to 1905. In the early years of football on the West Coast, the power sat in the Bay Area with the Stanford-Cal rivalry and USC rose to challenge the two established programs. During the early and mid-20th century Stanford football occasionally enjoyed periods of great regional success on the gridiron. USC and Stanford, being the two private universities with major football teams on the west coast, naturally drew the ire of one another. During the early 2000s, however, Stanford had not maintained their earlier success and the rivalry had faded to many USC fans.[100] The rivalry was renewed with the arrival of Jim Harbaugh at Stanford in 2007. Harbaugh defeated Carroll 2–1 in their three matchups with both victories occurring in the Coliseum. In the 2009 meeting, USC sustained their worst loss in 43 years and surrendered the most points to an opponent, a record that would stand for three seasons. The game led the Los Angeles Times to declare that Stanford was "at the top of the USC 'Must Kill' list."[101][102] Harbaugh added another win in 2010 against Carroll's successor Lane Kiffin before leaving after that season to become head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. USC leads the series 65–34–3 through the 2023 season.[103] Cal While not as significant as the Stanford or UCLA rivalries, for either school, USC and Cal played an annual game, and met more than 100 times. The game was often called The Weekender, referring to the weekend trip to the Bay Area; although, this term also applied to the Stanford game, as each series (USC/Cal and USC/Stanford) would alternate home and away. As of the 2023 season, USC had played Cal more than any other opponent,[104] with the 2023 game marking the 112th meeting, according to Cal,[105] and the 108th meeting according to USC,[106] with discrepancies in the game record before 1920. The last Weekender was played on October 28th, 2023, with Cal losing to USC 49-50.[107] USC's record in the series was 72-32-4, as of 2023.[106] Facilities Early facilities Prior to the construction of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 1923, the Trojans played football in a number of facilities.[108] Before 1893, the Trojans played football in a vacant lot on Jefferson Boulevard before the lot was developed as residences. In the 1890s, USC's primary home field was Athletic Park. Several games in the 1890s and all games in 1916 were played in Fiesta Park in downtown Los Angeles. The 1900 homestand was played at Chutes Park, a facility located within a Los Angeles pleasure park shared with the Los Angeles Angels baseball team, while the 1903 season was played at nearby Prager Park. Three games in the 1910s were played at Washington Park, the successor to Chutes Park. From 1904 to 1910, 1914–15, and 1917–22, most of USC's home games were played at the on-campus Bovard Field. USC also played home games in Pasadena, at Sportsman's Park, Tournament Park, and the Rose Bowl. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 2019 Main article: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is one of the largest stadiums in the United States. USC has played football in the Coliseum ever since the grand stadium was built in 1923. In fact, the Trojans played in the first varsity football game ever held there (beating Pomona College 23–7 on October 6, 1923). The Coliseum hosted the opening and closing ceremonies and track events of the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympics, and is slated to be a venue for the 2028 Summer Olympics. Over the years, the Coliseum has been home to many sports teams besides the Trojans, including UCLA football, the NFL's Los Angeles Rams and Raiders, the Los Angeles Chargers in 1960 of the AFL, and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball, including the 1959 World Series. The Coliseum has hosted various other events, from concerts and speeches to track meets and motorcycle races. The Coliseum is located on 17 acres (69,000 m2) in Exposition Park, which also houses museums, gardens and Banc of California Stadium.[109] It has also earned the nickname, “The Grand Old Lady.” The peristyle and Olympic Torch of the Coliseum The Coliseum is both managed and operated by USC[8] under a master lease agreement with the LA Memorial Coliseum Commission, as was the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena for a number of years prior to its 2016 demolition.[110] The Coliseum has a present full-capacity of 77,500 seats after USC completed a major $315 million renovation of the stadium in 2019 that added a new seven-story Tower on the stadium’s south side housing luxury suites, loge boxes, club seats, a new concourse with concession stands, a new press box, and rooftop club lounge.[111][112] The John McKay Center at USC Opened in 2012, the $70 Million, 110,000-square-foot athletic and academic center named after legendary football coach John McKay is home to the USC Trojan Football Department. The building houses meeting rooms, coaches' offices and a locker room for the football program, as well as the Stevens Academic Center (including space for tutoring, counseling, study and computer rooms for student-athletes), a weight room, an athletic training room and a state-of-the-art digital media production facility for all of USC's 21 sports.[113] The centerpiece of the McKay Center is the two-story video board in the Parker Hughes atrium, which can display six big-screen televisions at once as well as promotional videos and graphics. The building's 60,000-square-foot basement includes a weight room, athletic training room, locker rooms and a players lounge, a 25,000-square-foot ground floor with Student-Athlete Academic Services center, a reception area and outdoor courtyard, and a 25,000-square-foot second floor with football coaches' offices, football team meeting rooms, outdoor patio and a state-of-the-art video production facility. The John McKay Center is adjacent to Heritage Hall, the Galen Dining Center, Brittingham Field and the Howard Jones Field/Brian Kennedy Field practice facility.[113] Howard Jones Field/Brian Kennedy Field Main article: Howard Jones Field/Brian Kennedy Field The USC football team practices on campus at Howard Jones Field/Brian Kennedy Field. The facility originally known as Howard Jones Field was expanded in the fall of 1998 to include Brian Kennedy Field. In early 1999, Goux's Gate, named for the player and popular long-time assistant coach Marv Goux, was erected at the entrance to the practice field.[114] In June 2023 USC President Carl Folt announced that USC football will receive a new performance center that includes three levels dedicated to team operations as well as a rooftop hospitality deck and player lounge. USC Athletics is also adding a second full-length football practice field, which players will access directly from the performance center. The new complex will be built on the site of the current Brian Kennedy Field. It will feature student-athlete-centric spaces - including a new locker room, multiple player lounges, a recovery hub, nutritional support, sports sciences services, a weight room, a training room and an equipment room - a team auditorium, position meeting rooms, recruiting areas, staff offices and flexible space for future growth.[115] Individual award winners See also: USC Trojans football statistical leaders This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Individual players have won numerous accolades with seven officially recognized Heisman Trophy winners, 38 College Football Hall of Fame inductees, and 157 All-Americans.[when?] USC's first consensus All-American was offensive guard Brice Taylor in 1925, who notably excelled despite missing his left hand, and who was one of USC's first black players. Heisman Trophy winners and retired numbers See also: List of NCAA football retired numbers Eight USC players have been awarded the Heisman Trophy. All of them (with the exception of Reggie Bush and Caleb Williams) have also had their numbers retired by the Trojans.[116][117] Bush's Heisman was forfeited in 2010 after an NCAA investigation ruled him ineligible to participate as a student-athlete during his Trophy season. Fltr: Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, and O.J. Simpson, some of the Heisman Trophy winners who also have their numbers retired by USC No. Player Pos. Career No. ret. Ref. 3 Carson Palmer QB 1999–2002 2002 [118] 11 Matt Leinart QB 2001–2005 2004 [118] 12 Charles White RB 1977–1979 1979 [118] 20 Mike Garrett RB 1963–1965 1965 [118] 32 O. J. Simpson RB 1967–1968 1968 [118] 33 Marcus Allen RB 1978–1981 1981 [118] Special cases No. Player Pos. Career No. ret. Ref. 5 [n1 1] Reggie Bush HB 2003–2005 2005 [118] Notes  Although the number is not officially retired, the Trojans have not reissued it as of 2022.[119] Heisman Trophy voting Name Pos. Year Place Jim Sears HB/S 1952 7th Jon Arnett HB 1956 10th O. J. Simpson TB 1967 2nd Anthony Davis TB 1974 2nd Ricky Bell TB 1975 3rd Ricky Bell TB 1976 2nd Charles White TB 1978 4th Paul McDonald QB 1979 6th Rodney Peete QB 1988 2nd Keyshawn Johnson WR 1995 7th Matt Leinart QB 2003 6th Mike Williams WR 2003 8th Matt Leinart QB 2005 3rd Matt Barkley QB 2011 6th Marqise Lee WR 2012 4th All-time USC football team Chosen by Athlon Sports in 2001[120] Offense WR: Lynn Swann 71-73 WR: Keyshawn Johnson 92-95 TE: Hal Bedsole 61-63 OL: Ron Yary 65-67 OL: Tay Brown 30-32 OL: Tony Boselli 91-94 OL: John Baker 29-31 OL: Brad Budde 76-79 OL: Anthony Muñoz 76-79 OL: Bruce Matthews 80-82 QB: Pat Haden 72-74 RB: Mike Garrett 63-65 RB: O. J. Simpson 67-68 RB: Charles White 76-79 RB: Marcus Allen 78-81 PK: Quin Rodriguez 87-90 Defense DL: Ernie Smith 30-32 DL: Tim Ryan 86-89 DL: Harry Smith 37-39 DL: Aaron Rosenberg 31-33 LB: Chris Claiborne 96-98 LB: Richard Wood 72-74 LB: Jack Del Rio 81-84 LB: Junior Seau 88-89 DB: Ronnie Lott 77-80 DB: Morley Drury 25-27 DB: Mark Carrier 87-89 DB: Tim McDonald 83-86 P: Des Koch 51-53 National player awards Maxwell Award O. J. Simpson, TB (1968) Charles White, TB (1979) Marcus Allen, TB (1981) Caleb Williams, QB (2022) Archie Griffin Award Matt Leinart, QB (2003, 2004) Sam Darnold, QB (2016) Walter Camp Award O. J. Simpson, TB (1967, 1968) Charles White, TB (1979) Marcus Allen, TB (1981) Matt Leinart, QB (2004) Reggie Bush, RB (2005) Caleb Williams, QB (2022) Dick Butkus Award Chris Claiborne, MLB (1998) Lombardi Award Brad Budde, OG (1979) Chuck Bednarik Award Rey Maualuga, LB (2008) AP Player of the Year Matt Leinart, QB (2004) Reggie Bush, RB (2005) Caleb Williams, QB (2022) Manning Award Matt Leinart, QB (2004) Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Rodney Peete, QB (1988) Carson Palmer, QB (2002) Matt Leinart, QB (2005) Outland Trophy Ron Yary, OT (1967) Jim Thorpe Award Mark Carrier, FS (1989) Adoree' Jackson, CB (2016) John Mackey Award Fred Davis, TE (2007) Fred Biletnikoff Award Marqise Lee, WR (2012) Jim Brown Award Reggie Bush, RB (2005) Chic Harley Award Mike Garrett, RB (1965) O. J. Simpson, RB (1968) Charles White, RB (1979) Marcus Allen, RB (1981) Reggie Bush, RB (2004, 2005) Paul Warfield Trophy Keyshawn Johnson, WR (1995) Dwayne Jarrett, WR (2005) Marqise Lee, WR (2012) National coaching awards Paul "Bear" Bryant Award John McKay, Head Coach (1962, 1972) Home Depot Coach of the Year Award Pete Carroll, Head Coach (2003) Broyles Award Norm Chow, Offensive Coordinator (2002) FWAA Co-First Year Coach of the Year Clay Helton, Head Coach (2017) Hall of Fame HB / WR Frank Gifford CB Ronnie Lott WR Lynn Swann SS Troy Polamalu College Football Hall of Fame inductees Name Position Years Inducted Ref. Howard Jones Coach 1908–1940 1951 [121] Morley Drury QB 1925–1927 1954 [122] Harry Smith G 1937–1939 1955 [123] Erny Pinckert HB 1929–1931 1957 [124] Aaron Rosenberg G 1931–1933 1966 [125] Ernie Smith T 1930–1932 1970 [126] Dan McMillan T 1917, 1919–1921 1971 [127] Mort Kaer HB 1924–1926 1972 [128] John Ferraro T 1943–1944, 1946–1947 1974 [129] Frank Gifford HB 1949–1951 1975 [130] Cotton Warburton QB 1932–1934 1975 [131] Tay Brown T 1930–1932 1980 [132] Johnny Baker G 1929–1931 1983 [133] O. J. Simpson HB 1967–1968 1983 [134] Mike Garrett HB 1963–1965 1985 [135] Jeff Bregel T 1963–1965 1986 [136] Mike McKeever G 1958–1960 1987 [137] Ron Yary OT 1965–1967 1987 [138] John McKay Coach 1960–1975 1988 [139] Paul Cleary End 1946–1947 1989 [140] Lynn Swann WR 1971–1973 1993 [141] Marvin Powell OT 1974–1976 1994 [142] Charles White HB 1976–1979 1996 [143] Brad Budde G 1976–1979 1998 [144] Marcus Allen HB 1978–1981 2000 [145] Jon Arnett HB 1954–1956 2001 [146] Ronnie Lott S 1977–1980 2002 [147] Ricky Bell RB 1973–1976 2003 [148] Charle Young TE 1970–1972 2004 [149] Anthony Davis RB 1972–1974 2005 [150] Richard Wood LB 1972–1974 2007 [151] John Robinson Coach 1976–2004 2009 [152] Sam Cunningham FB 1970–1972 2010 [153] Tony Boselli OT 1991–1994 2014 [154] Matt Leinart QB 2003–2005 2017 [155] Troy Polamalu S 1999-2002 2019 [156] Carson Palmer QB 1998–2002 2021 [157] Reggie Bush RB 2003–2005 2023 [158] Pro Football Hall of Fame OT Ron Mix Frank Gifford, HB (1977) Ron Mix, OT (1979) Morris 'Red' Badgro, E (1981) O. J. Simpson, RB (1985) Willie Wood, DB (1989) Anthony Muñoz, OT (1998) Ronnie Lott, DB (2000) Lynn Swann, WR (2001) Ron Yary, OT (2001) Marcus Allen, RB (2003) Bruce Matthews, OT, OG, C (2007) Junior Seau, LB (2015) Troy Polamalu, S (2020) Tony Boselli, OT (2022) Canadian Football League C.J. Gable, RB – Edmonton Eskimos Taylor Mays, S - Saskatchewan Roughriders NFL Among all colleges and universities, as of 2022, USC holds the all-time record for the most quarterbacks (17) and is tied with the University of Miami for the most wide receivers (40) to go on to play in the NFL.[5] Trojans in the entertainment industry Beginning in the silent movie era, wrote Garry Wills, "USC football players mingled with the movie stars who came to their games and offered them bit parts in their movies."[159] One such player was John Wayne, who played tackle on the 1925 and 1926 team; another was Ward Bond, who played on the 1926–1928 teams.[160] (As a publicity stunt, the Atlanta Falcons drafted the 64-year-old John Wayne the 1971 NFL draft.[161]) Other Trojan football players who went on to have movie careers include O. J. Simpson (actor),[162] Allan Graf (director and stunt coordinator),[163] Aaron Rosenberg (producer),[164] Mazio Royster (actor),[165] Patrick O'Hara (actor),[166] Russell Saunders (director),[167] Nate Barragar (director),[168] Jesse Hibbs (actor),[169] Tim Rossovich (actor),[170] Phil Hoover,[171] Cotton Warburton (film editor),[172] and Mike Henry (actor),[173][174] Media This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Radio flagship: KABC-AM 790 which also held the rights from 1973 to 1976. Spanish-language radio flagship: KTNQ 1020-AM in Glendale, California Broadcasters: Pete Arbogast (play-by-play), Shaun Cody and John Jackson share duties as color analyst with Jordan Moore acting as the sideline announcer. Spanish-language broadcasters: Pepe Mantilla (play-by-play), Daniel Arreola (analyst/play-by-play) and Erika Garza (analyst) Past broadcasters: Tom Kelly, Lee Hacksaw Hamilton, Larry Kahn, Mike Walden, Chick Hearn, have also been full time play-by-play announcers for the team since 1956. Past color analysts include Paul McDonald, Tom Harmon, Braven Dyer, Bill Symes, Jim Wilkerson, Dick Danahe, Don Anderson, Bud Tucker, Jim Perry, Fred Gallagher, Mike Lamb and Jeremy Hogue. Sideline announcers have been Arbogast, Jackson, Tony Femino, Tim Ryan, Petros Papadakis, Lindsey Soto, Mark Willard and Brandon Hancock. Radio station KNX AM-1070 in Los Angeles has had the most years as the team's flagship station, holding that honor from 1956 to 1968 and again from 1977 to 1994. KFI AM-640 was the flagship from 1969 to 1972, KLSX FM-97.1 held the flag in 1998, followed by XTRA AM-690 in 1999 and 2000. From 2001 to 2005, KMPC AM-1540 was the Trojans' flagship station. KSPN AM-710 was the flagship from 2006 to 2018. Pete Arbogast, who has called Trojans football since 1989, announced his seventh Rose Bowl game on January 1, 2017. Arbogast also called the Rose Bowl game for USC for the university's campus radio station, KSCR, in 1978 and 1979. Arbogast, Kelly and Walden are all members of the Southern California Sportscasters Hall of Fame. Public address announcer: Eric Smith Previously: John Ramsey (member of the Southern California Sportscasters Hall of Fame), and Dennis Packer. Future Big Ten Conference opponents Announced schedules as of October 5, 2023.[175] Home Schedule 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 Nebraska Iowa Maryland Illinois Iowa Penn State Michigan Ohio State Indiana Nebraska Rutgers Michigan State Oregon Minnesota Penn State Wisconsin Northwestern Washington Wisconsin Purdue − UCLA − UCLA − Away Schedule 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 Maryland Illinois Indiana Iowa Michigan Michigan Nebraska Penn State Maryland Michigan State Minnesota Oregon Rutgers Ohio State Northwestern Washington Purdue Wisconsin Washington Oregon UCLA − UCLA − UCLA Future non-conference opponents Announced schedules as of January 27, 2020.[176] 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 LSU (Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas) Ole Miss Fresno State UNLV Utah State Georgia Southern at Ole Miss Nevada Fresno State Notre Dame at Notre Dame Notre Dame at Notre Dame Notre Dame See also Giles Pellerin, who attended 797 consecutive USC football games from 1925 until his death during the USC - UCLA game in 1998 References The Heisman Memorial Trophy (/ˈhaɪzmɪn/ HYZE-min; usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work. It is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust in early December before the postseason bowl games. The award was created by the Downtown Athletic Club in 1935 to recognize "the most valuable college football player east of the Mississippi", and was first awarded to University of Chicago halfback Jay Berwanger.[1][2] After the death in October 1936 of the club's athletic director, John Heisman, the award was named in his honor and broadened to include players west of the Mississippi.[3][4] Heisman had been active in college athletics as a football player; a head football, basketball, and baseball coach; and an athletic director. It is the oldest of several overall awards in college football, including the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, and the AP Player of the Year. The Heisman and the AP Player of the Year honor the outstanding player, while the Maxwell and the Walter Camp award recognizes the best player, and the Archie Griffin Award recognizes the most valuable player. The most recent winner of the Heisman Trophy is Louisiana State University quarterback Jayden Daniels.[5] Trophy design The Heisman Trophy The trophy itself, designed by sculptor Frank Eliscu, is modeled after Ed Smith, a leading player in 1934 for the now-defunct New York University football team.[6][7] The trophy is made out of cast bronze, is 13.5 inches (34.3 cm) tall, 14 inches long, 16 inches in width and weighs 45 pounds (20.4 kg).[8] Eliscu had asked Smith, his former George Washington High School classmate, to pose for a commissioned sculpture of a football player. Smith did not realize until 1982 that the sculpture had become the Heisman Trophy. The Downtown Athletic Club presented Smith with a Heisman Trophy of his own in 1985.[9] From its inception in 1935, the statue was cast by Dieges & Clust in New York (and later Providence, Rhode Island) until 1980, when Dieges and Clust was sold to Herff Jones.[10] For a time until at least 2008, the statues were cast by Roman Bronze Works in New York.[11] Since 2005 the trophy has been made by MTM Recognition in Del City, Oklahoma.[12] Selection Originally only players east of the Mississippi were eligible, but since 1936 all football players playing in all divisions of college football nationwide are eligible for the award, though winners usually represent Division I Football Bowl Subdivision schools.[13] There are three categories of eligible voters for the award winner: Sports journalists: Heisman.com states that sports journalists are to be the determinants of the award since they are "informed, competent, and impartial."[14] There are 870 media voters: 145 voters from each of six regions. Previous Heisman winners (and in cases where an underclassman wins the award and remains in school to play, a prior winner may also be a current candidate). According to Heisman.com there are currently 57 prior winners eligible to vote[14] and, thus, 57 potential votes (a prior winner is not required to vote and does not lose his voting privileges by not voting). Fans: Trophy sponsor Nissan USA holds an ESPN-conduced fan survey through its Heisman/college football advertising campaign website. This constitutes one Heisman vote. Except for the one vote based on the fan voting, the balloting is based on positional voting, whereby each voter identifies three selections, ranking them in order. Each first-place selection is awarded three points, each second-place selection is awarded two points, and each third-place selection is awarded one point. Voters must make three selections and cannot duplicate a selection, else the ballot is invalid and none of the selections count.[14] The accounting firm Deloitte is responsible for the tabulation of votes, which has moved almost exclusively to online voting since 2007.[14] Notable moments This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this section. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2017) (Learn how and when to remove this template message) Larry Kelley and Clint Frank of Yale were the first teammates to win the Trophy, in 1936 and 1937. Nile Kinnick of Iowa (1939) is the only winner to have a college stadium named after him. He is also the only winner to die while in military service for the United States. His death in 1943 made him the first Heisman Trophy winner to die. The high school at the U.S. Navy's Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan is also named after Kinnick. Doc Blanchard, who played for Army, was the first junior to win (1945). The 1946 Army versus Notre Dame game (called "Game of the Century") became notable as in that game there were four players who won or would go on to win the Trophy: Army's Doc Blanchard (1945 winner) and Glenn Davis (1946 winner), and Notre Dame's Johnny Lujack (1947 winner) and Leon Hart (1949 winner). Doak Walker of SMU was the earliest recipient (1948) ever to make it into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, though he wasn't selected until 1986, one year after Roger Staubach (the 1963 winner, who played for Navy) became the first Heisman winner ever enshrined in Canton. Paul Hornung was the only player to win the award as a player for a losing team: he took the award at Notre Dame in 1956, when the Irish finished 2–8. Ernie Davis of Syracuse was the first black player recipient (1961). Terry Baker of Oregon State was the only player to win the award and play in the Final Four in the NCAA basketball tournament in the same school year (1962–63). Steve Spurrier, the 1966 recipient as a University of Florida player, became the first winner to coach a winner (1996, Danny Wuerffel, also of Florida).[15] Archie Griffin of Ohio State is the only player to receive the award twice, winning it as a junior in 1974 and as a senior in 1975.[16] Andre Ware of the University of Houston was the first black quarterback to win (1989). Charles Woodson of the University of Michigan is the only primarily defensive player to win the award, beating out favorite Peyton Manning, quarterback for the University of Tennessee, in 1997. In 2000, former professional baseball player Chris Weinke became the oldest player ever to win at the age of 28, playing for Florida State. In 2007, Tim Tebow, playing for Florida, became the first sophomore to win. He also became the first major-college quarterback to rush for 20 touchdowns and pass for 20 touchdowns in a season. In 2012, Johnny Manziel of Texas A&M became the first redshirt freshman to win the award.[17] In 2016, Lamar Jackson of the University of Louisville became the youngest player to win at 19 years, 338 days old. In 2017, Baker Mayfield of Oklahoma became the first former walk-on player to win. In 2018, Kyler Murray won the award the year after Mayfield, becoming the first quarterbacks from the same school to win in back-to-back years. In 2019, quarterback Joe Burrow of LSU broke numerous voting records. Burrow received the highest percentage of first-place votes ever, with 90.7%; he finished with 841 first-place votes, while runner-up Jalen Hurts of Oklahoma finished with 20 first-place votes. Burrow's win was the largest margin of victory ever, beating Hurts by 1,846 points. Burrow also received the highest-ever percentage of possible points with 93.8%, and the highest-ever percentage of ballots with 95.5%.[18] As of 2022, USC has the most Heisman trophies won with eight; Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Notre Dame each have seven; Ohio State has had six different players win the award. The closest margin of votes was in 2009 between winner Mark Ingram II of Alabama and Toby Gerhart of Stanford.[19] Ten Heisman Trophy winners are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame,[20][21] and four winners have also been named Most Valuable Player in a Super Bowl. Some winners have gone on to play in other professional sports, including Bo Jackson in baseball and Charlie Ward in basketball. Pete Dawkins and Dick Kazmaier are the only winners not to pursue a professional sports career: Dawkins had a career with the United States Army, where he achieved the rank of Brigadier General, while Kazmaier attended Harvard Business School, founded a consulting company specializing in sports marketing, and chaired the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition in 1988–89. University success In addition to personal statistics, team achievements play a heavy role in the voting – a typical Heisman winner represents a team that had an outstanding season and was most likely in contention for the national championship or a major conference championship at some point in that season. The closest that a player outside the modern Division I FBS came to winning the Heisman is third place; in both cases, the players involved played for schools in what was at the time Division I-AA, now Division I FCS. The first was Gordie Lockbaum from Holy Cross in 1987, followed by Steve McNair, from Alcorn State in 1993. Armanti Edwards, from Appalachian State University, was also briefly mentioned as a candidate for the award following Appalachian's upset of No. 5-ranked Michigan in 2007. Besides Griffin winning consecutive Heismans at Ohio State, five other programs had two different players win the Heisman Trophy in consecutive years: Yale (1936–37), Army (1945–46), Southern California (USC) (2004–05, though Reggie Bush voluntarily forfeited his 2005 award in September 2010 and sent the trophy back to the Heisman Trust[22]), Oklahoma (2017–18), and Alabama (2020–21). Only three high schools have produced multiple Heisman trophy winners. The first was Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas, Texas (Davey O'Brien in 1938 and Tim Brown in 1987) (Woodrow remains the only public high school to be so recognized). Thereafter, two private high schools also achieved this distinction: Fork Union Military Academy in Fork Union, Virginia (Vinny Testaverde as a postgraduate in 1982, and Eddie George in 1996) and Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California (John Huarte in 1964, Matt Leinart in 2004, and Bryce Young in 2021). Of the colleges where trophy namesake John Heisman coached, only Auburn University has produced Heisman winners, with Pat Sullivan in 1971, Bo Jackson in 1985, and Cam Newton in 2010. Class and age For most of its history, most winners of the Heisman have been seniors.[23] Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel became the first freshman to win the Heisman in 2012. The following year, at 19 years, 342 days old, Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston became the youngest Heisman Trophy winner at that time as a freshman. Both, however, were in their second year of college, having been redshirted during their first year of attendance, meaning that no true freshman has yet won the award. No sophomore won the Heisman in its first 72 years, at which point there were three consecutive sophomore winners — Tim Tebow in 2007, followed by Sam Bradford and Mark Ingram II — with Lamar Jackson, who also surpassed Winston's record as the youngest Heisman winner, becoming the fourth in 2016. Of the four sophomores to have won the award, only Bradford had been redshirted; the others all won during their second year of college attendance. Only a few juniors have won the award, starting with the eleventh winner in 1945, Doc Blanchard. Five players have finished in the top three of the Heisman voting as freshmen or sophomores before later winning the award: Angelo Bertelli, Glenn Davis, Doc Blanchard, Doak Walker, and Herschel Walker. Eight players have finished in the top three as freshmen or sophomores but never won a Heisman: Clint Castleberry, Marshall Faulk, Michael Vick, Rex Grossman, Larry Fitzgerald, Adrian Peterson, Deshaun Watson, and Christian McCaffrey. Four players have specifically finished second in consecutive years: Glenn Davis (second in 1944 and 1945, winner in 1946), Charlie Justice (second 1948 and 1949), Darren McFadden (second 2006 and 2007), and Andrew Luck (second 2010 and 2011). The oldest and youngest Heisman winners ever both played for Atlantic Coast Conference schools. The oldest, Chris Weinke, was 28 years old when he won in 2000; he spent six years in minor league baseball before enrolling at Florida State. The youngest winner is 2016 recipient Lamar Jackson of Louisville at the age of 19 years, 338 days, four days younger than Jameis Winston was when he won in 2013. Position The Heisman has usually been awarded either to a running back or a quarterback; very few players have won the trophy playing a position other than those two. Three wide receivers have been named winner: Tim Brown (1987), Desmond Howard (1991), and DeVonta Smith (2020). Two tight ends have also won the trophy, Larry Kelley (1936) and Leon Hart (1949). Charles Woodson is the only primarily defensive player to win the award, doing so as a defensive back, while also serving as kick returner and occasional wide receiver for Michigan in 1997. The highest finish ever for any individual who played exclusively on defense is second, by defensive end Hugh Green of Pittsburgh in 1980, linebacker Manti Te'o of Notre Dame in 2012, and by defensive end Aidan Hutchinson of Michigan in 2021. Although the Heisman is named in honor of an interior lineman, no interior lineman on either side of the ball has ever won the award. Legendary linebacker Dick Butkus placed sixth in 1963 and third in 1964 and could qualify as an interior lineman, as he played center on offense during his era when two-way players were still common. Offensive guard Tom Brown of Minnesota and the offensive tackle John Hicks of Ohio State placed second in 1960 and 1973, respectively. Rich Glover, a defensive lineman from Nebraska, finished 3rd in the 1972 vote—which was won by his Cornhusker teammate Johnny Rodgers. Washington's DT Steve Emtman finished 4th in voting in 1991. Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska finished fourth in 2009 as a defensive tackle. Also, Kurt Burris, a center for the Oklahoma team, was a runner-up for the award in 1954 and Orlando Pace finished fourth in 1996 as an offensive tackle for Ohio State.[citation needed] Venue Venues Venue Years Downtown Athletic Club (New York, New York) 1935–2000 New York Marriott Marquis (New York, New York) 2001; 2017 The Yale Club of New York City (New York, New York) 2002–2003 Hilton New York (New York, New York) 2004 Palladium Times Square (New York, New York) 2005–2016; 2018–2019 ESPN headquarters/remote (Bristol, Connecticut) 2020 Jazz at Lincoln Center (New York, New York) 2021—present Due to the neighborhood housing the Downtown Athletic Club's facilities becoming blockaded after the attacks on 9/11, the 2001 award ceremony was moved to the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square. After the DAC filed for bankruptcy in 2002, the Yale Club hosted the presentation at its facility in 2002 and 2003. The ceremony moved to the Hilton New York for 2004, and was presented annually at Palladium Times Square (then Nokia Theatre Times Square) from 2005 until its closure in 2019 (except in 2017, when the presentation was moved back to the Marquis because of a scheduling conflict).[24][25] The 2008 Heisman press conference was held at the Sports Museum of America at 26 Broadway near the old Downtown Club building. There was an entire gallery with the museum-attraction dedicated to the Trophy, including the making of the Trophy, the history of the DAC, and information on John Heisman and all the Trophy's winners. There was also a dedicated area celebrating the most recent winner, and the opportunity for visitors to cast their vote for the next winner (with the top vote-winner receiving 1 official vote on their behalf).[26] The Sports Museum of America closed permanently in February 2009.[27] After Palladium Times Square (then PlayStation Theater) closed in December 2019, the Heisman Trust began searching for a new location to conduct the trophy presentation. The 2020 ceremony would ultimately be held at the studios of ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the ceremony was a virtual event with all participants appearing via remote interviews.[28] The 2021 ceremony returned to an in-person event, with the presentation held at The Appel Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center.[29] History The award was first presented in 1935 by the Downtown Athletic Club (DAC) in New York City, a privately owned recreation facility located on the lower west side near the later World Trade Center site. It was first known simply as the DAC Trophy. The first winner, Jay Berwanger, was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles but declined to sign for them. He never played professional football for any team. In 1936, John Heisman died and the trophy was renamed in his honor.[30] Larry Kelley, the second winner of the award, was the first man to win it as the "Heisman Trophy".[31] The first African American player to win the Heisman was Syracuse's Ernie Davis, who never played a snap in the NFL. He was diagnosed with leukemia shortly after winning the award and died in 1963. In 1966, former Florida Gators quarterback Steve Spurrier gave his Heisman trophy to the university president, Dr. J. Wayne Reitz, so that the award could be shared by Florida students and faculty.[6] The gesture caused Florida's student government to raise funds to purchase a replacement trophy for Spurrier.[6] Since then, the Downtown Athletic Club has issued two trophies to winners, one to the individual and a replica to his college.[6] Several Heisman trophies have been sold over the years; although there is a ban on the sale of all trophies awarded since 1999, trophies awarded in previous years can be sold.[32] O. J. Simpson's 1968 trophy was sold in February 1999 for $230,000 as part of the settlement of the civil trial following the acquittal in his murder case.[6] Yale end Larry Kelley sold his 1936 Heisman in December 1999 for $328,110 to settle his estate and to provide a bequest for his family.[6] Charles White's 1979 trophy first sold for $184,000 and then for nearly $300,000 in December 2006 to help pay back federal income taxes.[6] The current record price for a Heisman belongs to the trophy won by Minnesota halfback Bruce Smith in 1941 at $395,240.[6] Paul Hornung sold his Heisman for $250,000 to endow scholarships for University of Notre Dame students from his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.[6] Eliscu's original plaster cast sold at Sotheby's for $228,000 in December 2005.[6] Television coverage The presentation of the Heisman Trophy was not broadcast on television until 1977.[33] Before 1977, the presentation of the award was not televised as a stand-alone special, but rather as a quick in-game feature. The ceremony usually aired on ABC as a feature at halftime of the last major national telecast (generally a rivalry game) of the college football season. ABC essentially showed highlights since the award was handed out as part of an annual weeknight dinner at the DAC. At the time, the event had usually been scheduled for the week following the Army–Navy Game.[citation needed] The most watched Heisman ceremony ever was in 2009 when Mark Ingram won over Toby Gerhart and Colt McCoy.[34] On December 8, 1977, CBS (who paid $200,000 for the rights) aired a one-hour (at 10:00 p.m. Eastern Time) special to celebrate the presentation of the Heisman Trophy to Earl Campbell of the University of Texas. Elliott Gould and O. J. Simpson were the co-hosts, with Connie Stevens and Leslie Uggams providing musical entertainment and Robert Klein providing some comic relief.[citation needed] Since then, a number of companies have provided television coverage of the event:[citation needed] CBS (1977–1980, 1986–1990) ABC (1981–1984) – owned-and-operated stations only Syndication (1981–1985) NBC (1985) – owned-and-operated stations only NBC (1991–1993) ESPN (1994–present) Controversies and politics Regional bias controversy A number of critics have expressed concern about the unwritten rules regarding player position and age, as noted above.[citation needed] Over the years, there has been substantial criticism of a regional bias, suggesting that the Heisman balloting process has ignored West Coast players.[35] At present, the Pac-12 Conference (formerly Pac-10 and Pac-8) represents 12 of the 65 teams (roughly 18.5%) in the Power Five conferences. The Heisman can be, and has been, presented to players from other conferences, but a random sample over a long period of time might suggest that Pac-10/12 players might win somewhere close to 18% of the Heisman awards.[36] In the 20 seasons between 1981 (Marcus Allen) and 2002 (Carson Palmer), not a single Pacific-10 Conference or other West Coast player won the Heisman Trophy. Four Southern California (USC) players have won the Trophy in the early years of the 21st century and three won it subsequent to Palmer. Although Terry Baker, quarterback from Oregon State, won the trophy in 1962, and Gary Beban from UCLA won in 1967, no non-USC player from the West Coast had won between Stanford's Jim Plunkett in 1970 and Oregon's Marcus Mariota in 2014. Other than Mariota's win, the closest since Plunkett's win have been Chuck Muncie, John Elway, Toby Gerhart, Andrew Luck, Christian McCaffrey, and Bryce Love. Muncie was a running back for the California Golden Bears who finished second in the Heisman balloting in 1975. The other five were Stanford players who finished second in the Heisman balloting in 1982, and each year from 2009 to 2011, 2015, and 2017. The West Coast bias discussion usually centers on the idea that East Coast voters see few West Coast games, because of television coverage contracts, time zone differences, or cultural interest. At Heisman-projection website StiffArmTrophy.com, commentator Kari Chisholm claims that the Heisman balloting process itself is inherently biased: For Heisman voting purposes, the nation is divided into six regions—each of which get 145 votes. Put another way, each region gets exactly 16.67 percent of the votes. However, each region does not constitute an even one-sixth of the population. Three regions (Far West, Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic) have larger populations than 16.67% of the national population; and three have less (Northeast, South, and Southwest). In fact, the Far West has the greatest population at 21.2% of the country and the Northeast has the least at 11.9%.[37] Nullification of 2005 award See also: Reggie Bush § NCAA investigation and lawsuits In 2010 University of Southern California athletic director Pat Haden announced the university would return its replica of the 2005 Heisman Trophy due to NCAA sanctions requiring the university to dissociate itself from Reggie Bush. The NCAA found that Bush had received gifts from an agent while at USC. On September 14, 2010, Bush voluntarily forfeited his title as a Heisman winner. The next day, the Heisman Trust announced the 2005 award would remain vacated and removed all mention of the 2005 award from its official website.[38] Bush eventually returned the trophy itself to the Heisman Trust in 2012.[39] Critical responses from the national media were strident and varied. CBSSports.com producer J. Darin Darst opined that Bush "should never have been pressured to return the award." Kalani Simpson of Fox Sports wrote, "Nice try Heisman Trust...It's a slick move to try to wipe the slate clean." Former Football Writers Association of America president Dennis Dodd, on the other hand, decided to fictitiously award Bush's vacated 2005 award to Vince Young, the original runner-up that year. He wrote, "Since the Heisman folks won't re-vote, we did. Vince Young is the new winner of the 2005 Heisman." A Los Angeles Times piece argued that Bush's Heisman was "tainted" but lamented that the decision came five years after Bush was awarded the trophy and, therefore, four years after the expiration of Bush's term as current holder of the Heisman title.[40][41][42][43] Elections involving notable controversy [icon] This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (April 2021) 1967 Despite his team's beating the Bruins during the hours before the ceremony, USC's O. J. Simpson lost the 1967 trophy to UCLA quarterback Gary Beban; Simpson did win the trophy the next year.[44] 2010 Auburn quarterback Cam Newton won the 2010 Heisman Trophy amidst an NCAA eligibility inquiry.[45] 2013 Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston won the 2013 Heisman Trophy amidst a sexual assault investigation.[46]
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