OJ speaks

Alumnus No: 48 follows in the Oxford Union's tradition that its guest speakers from the world of sport should epitomise the highest traditions of fair play, sportsmanship and above all exemplary off-field lifestyles.

Following on from Diego Maradona and Vinnie Jones in Oxford's shining line of hand-picked role models comes one of those alumni whose fame was assured by a glittering career even before he left university.

Former American gridiron footballer, cinematic sidekick to Leslie Nielsen, unchallenged Los Angeles all-freeway slow-driving champion and involuntary glovemaker's model OJ Simpson was an All-American running-back during his time in the late 1960s at the University of Southern California, after transferring from the City College of San Francisco.