O.J. Simpson Diagnosed with Brain Cancer; Asks Obama for Release from Prison

According to The Huffington Post, former football star and movie actor O.J. Simpson has been diagnosed with life-threatening brain cancer and has asked President Obama to allow him to leave prison for treatment.

Several media outlets including the Telegraph and the National Enquirer are reporting that the professional football player is taking "desperate measures to secure clemency after undergoing tests on a brain tumor." A source close to Simpson reveals, "He put off the doctors for weeks after he first started experiencing the symptoms because he was afraid of what they would find."

The 66-year-old, nicknamed 'The Juice,' has been serving a 33-year sentence for assault, robbery and kidnapping in a Nevada prison since 2008.

The Washington Times recently reported that Simpson's health has been in steep decline for the past several years. "He's gained weight since his imprisonment, and also suffers from blurred vision, stuttering and failing hearing," said the paper.

Simpson was found not guilty of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman in what many consider to be the 'Trial of the Century.' His acquittal was announced on October 3, 1995. In 1997, a civil court awarded a judgment against Simpson for their wrongful deaths; to date he has paid little of the $33.5 million judgment

Simpson was the first professional football player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season, a mark he set in 1973. While six other players have passed the 2,000 rush yard mark, he stands alone as the only player to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a 14-game season (professional football changed to a 16-game season in 1978). He holds the record for the single season yards-per-game average, which stands at 143.1 ypg. Simpson was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1985.

After retiring from professional football, Simpson had a successful career as a football broadcaster and actor in such films as Naked Gun.

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