Football legend O.J. Simpson told a parole board Thursday that he is a model prisoner, and even noted that he coached a sports team of some kind to a championship within Lovelock Correction Center.
Simpson is serving up to 33 years in prison for charges related to a failed 2007 attempt to steal his own sports memorabilia back from various characters in a Las Vegas hotel room after he was acquitted of two murder charges in 1994.
Having served nearly five years at Lovelock, Simpson earned his first chance to make an impassioned plea for parole.
“I arrived here at Lovelock nearly five years ago,and I met the then-warden… They told me what was expected of me here. I gave them my word that I would try to be, or would be, the best prisoner they’ve ever had here. And I think for the most part I’ve kept my word on that,” Simpson said. “I’ve not had any incidences despite all the stories in the tabloids and everything.”
Simpson was reportedly attacked by white supremacists in a prison riot but saved by his loyal contingent of homosexual bodyguards, known as “The Girls,” according to the National Enquirer.
“I haven’t had one incident since I’ve been here. I think on a daily paid basis, I speak to more inmates and CO’s than anybody here. Inmates tell me their stories, some of them tell me their crimes, and, uh, as far as burglary, which I’m here for, or robbery I should say, they’ve told me every kind of story you could hear. Guys who robbed banks, guys who robbed casinos, even one guy who robbed a gun shop, which I thought took a lot of guts. The difference between all of their crimes and mine is, they were trying to steal other people’s property. They were trying to steal other people’s money,” Simpson said, noting that he was just trying to steal his own property back.
“Make no mistake, I would give it all back to these guys. They can have it all,” Simpson said.
Simpson described his activities within the prison.
“When I first came here I was a porter, which was comprised of cleaning things in the unit that I was in. Basically, after a relatively short period of time, I started working as a gym worker, where I supervised the activities in the gym. I start each day disinfecting the workout equipment in the gym, mopping the floors with the others of us who work in the gym. I’ve coached teams since I’ve been here. I’d like to say that we won the championship, and we were old guys, a totally mixed group of players. I didn’t play. I just coached. I’ve umpired games,” Simpson said.
“Because, I guess, my age, guys come to me. I’m sure the powers here know that I advise a lot of guys and I like to feel that I’ve kept a lot of trouble from happening since I’ve been here by getting involved in conflicts that some of the individuals here have had,” Simpson added.
Simpson is best known for rushing for 2,000 yards in a single 14-game NFL season. He was also in “The Naked Gun.”