OJ Simpson's teammate & dentist has no doubt who killer is after star 'snapped' (2024)

SOMETHING within OJ Simpson snapped during his pursuit of Hollywood stardom and he died a far cry from the humble and charismatic teen he'd been during his dazzling college football days, his ex-teammate and dentist says.

Bob Jensen was a linebacker for the USC Trojans from 1967-69 and spent two of those years playing alongside the late OJ Simpson during the team's legendary run under coach John McKay.

During Simpson's two seasons with the Trojans, they went 19-2-1 and made two Rose Bowl appearances, with Simpson carrying the ball a staggering 674 times in just 22 games for 3,423 yards and 36 touchdowns.

Simpson won the Heisman Trophy in 1968 and solidified himself as one of the most dominant running backs in college football history.

Jensen told The U.S. Sun that Simpson's star power was evident from the moment he transferred to USC in 1967.

But he said the then 19-year-old was no egomaniac or hot head. Instead, he was a humble, intelligent, and charismatic teammate with a killer desire to win.

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"He was very humble, very, very sharp and you could just tell there was something different about him," said Jensen, 76.

"You can see why he made it into the movies and all things like that because he had a handle on everything. He was such a nice guy and you could tell he was destined for something big."

The two teammates, who shared a close bond, took separate paths at the end of college with Simpson being drafted to the Buffalo Bills in 1969 as the first pick.

Jensen almost followed Simpson into the league with an offer from the Dallas Cowboys but opted to enroll in dental school instead and later became Simpson's dentist after opening a practice in South Orange County.

Simpson remained his friendly, personable self despite his flourishing NFL career, according to Jensen.

The Juice hung up his cleats in 1979 to pursue a career in sports broadcasting and acting.

Jensen said somewhere in the late 80s, just as his acting career was taking off after landing a role in The Naked Gun, he believes something within his old teammate changed –with Simpson getting sucked into the Hollywood bubble and the hot air being blown his way by sycophants dangerously inflating his ego.

"After this Hollywood thing, his personality just changed," said Jensen.

"Some way, somehow, something changed in him and he snapped.

"I don't know, maybe got into himself, being this Heisman Trophy winner-actor and then suddenly thought he was above the law?

"I don't understand how someone can go from that to this. I'm just shocked.

"I'm still shocked to this day; I can still remember being in a hotel room and seeing his Ford Bronco being chased by police on the news."

OJ'S 'UNBELIEVABLE' ARREST

Like Jensen, much of the world reacted with shock in June 1994 when Simpson was arrested and charged with murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown, and her friend, Ron Goldman.

Brown and Goldman were found stabbed to death outside Brown's condo in the Brentwood neighborhood ofLos Angeleson June 12, suffering multiple wounds to their heads, necks, and bodies.

He was guilty without question."

Dr. Bob JensenOJ's ex-teammate

The killer left a black bloodied leather glove at the scene and a matching one was later discovered at Simpson's home, along with blood splatters on his white Ford Bronco.

Simpson was ordered to surrender himself to police but he attempted to flee in another Bronco, driven by his friend – and Jensen's former USC teammate –Al Cowlings.

What followed was one of the most iconic live television news broadcasts in American history, as 20 police cruisers chased Simpson through city streets and highways at a pedestrian pace.

The remarkable pursuit was broadcast on every major news outlet in the country and was watched by nearly 95 million viewers.

Among them was Jensen, who said he watched the chase slack-jawed and dumbstruck.

"I was playing in a tennis tournament, and when I was done, my wife called me from the hotel and said, 'Quick, quick. Get up here! You're not going to believe this!'

"And here's Al Cowlings driving the Bronco with police cars and helicopters following them. It was unbelievable.

"Not only did I know these guys, they were my patients, and I showered with these guys back in the day.

"It was so difficult to believe – and then the trial came."

BLOCKBUSTER TRIAL

Simpson's trial began on January 24, 1995.

To mount his defense, he compiled a powerhouse legal team that included Robert Blasier, Shawn Chapman Holley, Robert Shapiro,Alan Dershowitz,Robert Kardashian, and lead attorneyJohnnie Cochran.

The prosecution, led by Marcia Clark and Christopher A. Darden, was prepared for trial, armed with overwhelming evidence, including the blood-stained glove, shoe prints, hair strands, shirt fibers, DNA, andvarious other damning artifacts pointing the finger of blame squarely at Simpson.

The state also uncovered 62 prior incidents of abuse involving Simpson and Nicole Brown leading up to her grisly death.

However, as the trial started, Judge Lance Ito made it clear that the police inquiries into the alleged abuse were flawed, and photo evidence was either lost or mislabeled.

And the prosecution's smoking gun DNA evidence was improperly stored, stoking concern the sample may have been tainted.

Some way, somehow, something changed in him and he snapped."

Dr. Bob JensenOJ's ex-teammate

The trial's most infamous moment came when the prosecution instructed Simpson to try on the bloodied gloves, which he struggled to slip on as they appeared to be too small.

His lead attorney Johnnie Cochran famously quipped to the jury during closing arguments, "If the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit."

Though he found it difficult to reconcile the humble OJ of old with the arrogant OJ accused of murder that he was seeing on his screen, Jensen said there was no doubt in his mind that Simpson was guilty.

"He was guilty without question," said Jensen.

"And you could see he had changed. He was aggressive [...] to the judge, and he wasn't humble, and he wasn't taking responsibility.

"I never knew that side of him at USC but I knew he had changed, and something had changed in him during his time in Hollywood.

"He went over the edge and killed those people. He went off the chart and was just a completely different guy.

"It's such a shame."

TAINTED LEGACY

After months of testimony, the jury deliberated for just three hours before acquitting Simpson of all counts.

The controversial decision sent shockwaves rippling out worldwide.

Though he escaped the charges, in 1997, a separate civil trial jury found Simpson liable for Brown and Goldman's deaths and ordered him to pay $33.5 million to their families.

Subsequent attempts to revive his image floundered and Simpson's burgeoning Hollywood career grounded to a screeching halt, tanking his finances.

At the start of the trial,Simpson's reported net worthwas $11 million, but court records showed he was left with only $3.5 million after his legal proceedings ended.

Simpson was forced to sell a trove of his sports memorabilia to keep afloat, including his prized Heisman Trophy.

Thirteen years after his double-murder trial, Simpson and Clarence Stewart were arrested in 2008 in connection with a gunpoint robbery in Las Vegas.

Simpson and Stewart were accused of robbing sports memorabilia from a dealer, which the former NFL star claimed was stolen from him first.

Simpson was eventually convicted of 12 counts of armed robbery and kidnapping and sentenced to 33 years inprison.

He was granted parole in 2017 after serving nine years.

'FOND MEMORIES'

Then, in late 2023, rumors about Simpson's health swirled after he was pictured appearing frail and walking with a cane.

In February, he announced he'd been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

Simpson succumbed to that battle on Wednesday at his home in Las Vegas, surrounded by family and friends.

News of his death was met with mixed reactions on social media.

Ron Goldman's father, Fred Goldman, called Simpson's passing "no great loss."

"The only thing I have to say is, it's just a further reminder of Ron being gone all these years," he said.

"It's no great loss to the world. It's a further reminder of Ron's being gone."

Jensen said he understands the anger leveled toward Simpson but he will choose to remember him as the charismatic teen he first met in the late 60s, rather than the egotistical accused double murderer he became later in life.

"When I think about OJ, I think about him just being a world-class athlete and I remember him when he was at his best," Jensen said.

"He was a great teammate, but somewhere along the line, something snapped.

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"But I didn't know that OJ. I only had fond memories of him."