Former American footballer OJ Simpson, who spoke at the Oxford Union fresh after his murder acquittal, has died of cancer at the age of 76.

Simpson was a running back for the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers from 1969 to 1979, before being acquitted of murder in a trial in the mid-1990s.

He controversially gave his first public address at the Oxford Union shortly after his acquittal and spoke of racism in the Los Angeles Police Department and said he was sorry for hitting his wife.

President Paul Kenward had given Simpson assurances there would be no broadcast media, however, Chris Philip, later a Conservative MP and then a student at University College and features editor of the student magazine Cherwell, was fined £50 for selling a written transcript and helping to sell an audio cassette to TV stations.

Oxford Mail: OJ Simpson at Oxford Union fresh after being acquitted of murder

News of Simpson’s death was announced by his children on Thursday.

“On April 10, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer,” read a statement.

“He was surrounded by his children and grandchildren. During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace. -The Simpson Family”

Simpson became one of the most notorious figures in American history when he was charged with the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman in 1994.

His trial was televised around the country and, although he was acquitted, he was later found liable for their deaths in a civil lawsuit and was ordered to pay £26.7million to the victims of the families.

In 2017 he was released from prison after serving nine years of a 33-year sentence for armed robbery and kidnapping having been arrested in Las Vegas a decade earlier.

Simpson was one of the greatest ball carriers in NFL history. 

He retired from the sport in 1979 to concentrate on a career in film and television.