O.J. Simpson, whose life as an American sports hero quickly turned when he was charged with the 1994 murder of his wife and her friend, died on Wednesday at the age of 76, ESPN reports. His family announced his death on social media.

"On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer. 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 family posted on Simpson's X account.

Simpson's attorney also confirmed his death Thursday to TMZ.

Simpson ultimately was acquitted of stabbing to death Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ronald Goldman, in Los Angeles in one of the most sensational trials of the 20th century. But his life was forever changed; he went from a sports idol to a celebrity-in-exile before being sentenced to 33 years in prison for a bungled 2007 Las Vegas hotel robbery.

On the football field, Simpson was one of the game's all-time great running backs.

He became USC's second Heisman Trophy winner in 1968, earning the most first-place votes (855) in the award's history. That season, he established a then-NCAA single-season rushing record with 1,709 yards as he guided the Trojans to a Rose Bowl appearance, where they lost to top-ranked Ohio State despite Simpson's 171 yards and 80-yard TD.

In his two seasons at USC, Simpson was twice a unanimous All-American and equaled or bettered 19 NCAA, conference and school records.

In 1969, the Buffalo Bills made Simpson the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. "Juice" went on to make five First Team All-Pro squads and six Pro Bowls. He was named MVP in 1973, when he became the first to rush for 2,000 yards in a season (doing it in 14 games) while averaging 141.3 yards per game, still an NFL record.

Simpson spent nine years with the Buffalo Bills before wrapping up his career with two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.

He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

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