ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap Tells Incredible Story of Jim Brown Imploring O.J. Simpson to Fess Up to the Murders: ‘For Once in Your Life, Be a Man’

In the wake of the death of O.J. Simpson, ESPN reporter Jeremy Schaap told a stunning story about the time he interviewed Jim Brown around the time of the infamous murders.

Simpson died on Wednesday after battling prostate cancer, his family revealed Thursday. The 76-year-old is regarded as one of the greatest running backs in NFL history, but his football legacy pales in comparison to his role in the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown Simpson — his ex-wife — and her friend Ronald Goldman. Though he was acquitted in the murder trial, he was found liable in a civil trial and ordered to pay more than $30 million in damages.

Schaap called into First Take to talk about his experience covering the case. One day, he went to the home of Brown — who died in May 2023 — to get his thoughts on the situation.

“They did not get along,” Schaap said of the two running backs. “They had very different perspectives on a lot of things; and Jim Brown had his issues, as well. He was no angel, but he was committed to his community.

“He sits down and he points at the camera before we’ve even started the interview and he says, ‘Is that thing rolling?’ And I said, ‘Yeah, we’re rolling, Jim.’ And he turns and he looks straight in the camera and he said, ‘O.J., for once in your life, be a man and admit what you did.’ And I just remember saying, ‘Whoa.’ There’s a lot there, right? There’s a lot there to unpack with Jim Brown and that relationship; and I think about what we thought we knew about O.J. Simpson and who he really was and the difference between those things.”

Watch above via ESPN.