Many moons ago OJ Simpson was a popular cultural icon in the world of sports, movies and television. Many many moons ago OJ Simpson was a college and NFL player who was and still is one of the greatest running backs of all-time.
Now……….
The man who became the custodian of O.J. Simpson’s 1968 Heisman Trophy was a homeless drug addict who lugged it around the streets for years … TMZ Sports has learned.
TMZ Sports he came into possession of the trophy in 1996, two years after it was stolen from Heritage Hall on the SC campus.
The man swears he’s not the guy who broke the case and made off with the statue (we confirmed he was in jail at the time of the heist) but he did say he traded for it with a burgundy Honda Accord and $500 cash. And get this … the guy he got it from had the Heisman buried in his backyard. Kind of a hint something was up.
Shortly after he got the Heisman, the man says he lost everything and became homeless — yet still held on to his precious cargo.
After moving from street corners to storage lockers for 17 years … the man says he had a radical change of heart in December and decided to return the Heisman — for a reward. He took a photo of the trophy to prove he’s legit.
The homeless man wasn’t arrested, but the Heisman was recovered by police.
