The court of public opinion is bitterly divided on the ultimate place Orenthal James Simpson deserves in history, but, more than two decades earlier than the events that brought him notoriety, the thousands of fans who huddle in an icy Shea Stadium and millions more watching on television are in no doubt about greatness of the Buffalo Bills running back.
Simpson, needing just 61 yards to surpass Jim Brown's 10-year-old National Football League single-season rushing record of 1,863, passes that mark when he runs for six yards just 10 minutes and 34 seconds into the game against the New York Jets.
After a brief celebration, The Juice, as he his known, sets his sights on the magical 2,000-yard plateau, a barrier once beyond the comprehension of football fans.
The Bills, having built up a considerable lead over the struggling Jets, spend the second half of the game trying to get Simpson his yardage.
The former Southern Cal star and Heisman Trophy winner brings his total to 2,003 when he runs seven yards with just over six minutes remaining on the clock. He is carried off the field shoulder-high by his teammates (pictured) and remains on the sidelines for the rest of the game, but his job is done and his place in the lore of the game assured.
Simpson remembers: 'I was in the locker room all by myself right before the game ended. I started walking around thinking how I couldn't wish to do anything more or be anyone else. I was part of the history of the game. If I did nothing else in my life, I'd made my mark.'