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In a startling revelation from behind bars, a former prison guard has shared concerning insights into O.J. Simpson’s mental state during his incarceration.
Simpson’s behavior during his time at Nevada’s Lovelock Correctional Facility hinted at severe neurological damage, possibly due to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a condition commonly found among former NFL players, according to a retired prison guard.
Jeffrey Felix, who observed Simpson throughout his nine-year imprisonment, described episodes where the former football star appeared disoriented, often forgetting his surroundings and daily routines.
“He’d wake up in the morning wondering what (his) tee time was for golf, and he’s in a prison,” Felix told The New York Post, painting a troubling picture of Simpson’s mental state. The ex-guard speculated that Simpson’s numerous head injuries, sustained during his celebrated career with the Buffalo Bills, might have led to CTE — the brain disease linked to repeated concussions.
“Simpson was very forgetful,” Felix noted, detailing how the sports icon would frequently miss medication doses and meals, and suffer from persistent headaches.
After retiring from the NFL, Simpson embarked on a multifaceted career that spanned acting, broadcasting, and personal appearances, though his later life was overshadowed by legal issues. Post-NFL, Simpson transitioned into broadcasting and acting, which capitalized on his charm and popularity from his football days. He worked as a commentator for Monday Night Football and The NFL on NBC. Simpson also had a significant presence in film and television throughout the 1970s and 1980s. He appeared in films such as “The Towering Inferno,” “Capricorn One,” and the “Naked Gun” franchise.
Leveraging his celebrity status, Simpson made numerous personal appearances at events and was a sought-after speaker at engagements, further enhancing his profile and income. However, Simpson’s post-football life is mostly overshadowed by his legal troubles. In 1994, he was arrested and charged with the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman. In 1995, after a highly publicized and controversial trial, Simpson was acquitted of all criminal charges in a verdict that was broadcast live worldwide and led to widespread debate over the legal system in the United States.
Despite the acquittal, Simpson’s troubles continued. In 2007, he was involved in a robbery in Las Vegas, where he claimed he was attempting to retrieve his own sports memorabilia. In 2008, he was convicted of armed robbery and kidnapping and was sentenced to 33 years in prison, with a minimum of nine years without parole. He was granted parole in July 2017 and released in October of that year.
Jeffrey Felix, the former correction officer, said OJ Simpson was “very forgetful” and woke up while incarcerated thinking he was scheduled to play golf.
“I think he had that CTE thing from…the tackles and the helmet collisions.”
Simpson argued that his team’s linebackers were “jealous” of his success and aggressively tackled him during practices. “In practice, they’d light him up,” Felix remembered. “He took a lot of hits . . . he took more hits in practice than on the football field.”
This narrative is supported by Norman Pardo, Simpson’s former manager, who observed similar erratic behavior suggesting cognitive decline. “He would talk to himself in the car and then he’d argue with himself… sometimes he’d talk like he was talking in the third person,” Pardo disclosed, hinting at the psychological toll taken by Simpson’s football career.
“OJ wasn’t right in the head.”
Simpson’s mental lapses weren’t confined to forgetfulness. According to Felix, he even made startling confessions about the infamous murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman, suggesting only he and close acquaintance Al Cowlings truly knew what happened. Yet, he later claimed he would search for the “actual murderer” upon release.
These firsthand accounts align with wider concerns about CTE in the NFL, underscored by a 2023 study from Boston University finding the disease in nearly 92% of examined former NFL players.