Bills No. 32 Jersey Last Worn By O.J. Simpson Finally Issued Out After Four Decades
For the first time in more than four decades, the Buffalo Bills have issued the No. 32 jersey which was once worn by Hall of Fame running back O.J. Simpson.
The new No. 32 for now is running back Senorise Perry, who played the last two seasons with the Miami Dolphins.
Simpson played nine seasons with the Bills in the 1970's, winning four rushing titles and in 1973 became the first back to rush for 2,000 yards in a single season.
"Whatever they do is fine with me,” Simpson said to The Athletic. “That’s how I feel. When I played there, I tried to honor the team. Since I left, I always tried to honor the Bills.
And, to be honest, it’s not something I think about. There’s too much else going on in life.”
Perry said he knows there are expectations with wearing that number.
“On one hand, wearing the number of a Hall of Famer creates a high expectation," Perry said. “I thought it was retired, but then I was told it was available. Boom, I took it."
Simpson, of course, was acquitted of double murder in 1995 and found liable for those murders in a subsequent civil trial. He also spent nine years in prison after his 2008 conviction for kidnapping and armed robbery. He was paroled in Oct. 2017.
“I know the situation. I know that greatness comes with that number, playing in Buffalo. But I’m willing to take anything that comes my way," Perry said. "I’m going into my sixth year, and I know what it takes to get in this league and stay here. With that number on my back, I know I’m doing well for my family.”
