Buffalo Bills give O.J. Simpson's number to a player for the first time since 1977: Running back Senorise Perry chooses 32 for his jersey because 'greatness comes with it' For the first time in 42 years, the Buffalo Bills have issued convicted felon O.J. Simpson's old jersey number to a current player on the roster The jersey has been out of use since 1977, when Simpson, a Hall of Famer, was traded from Buffalo to his hometown San Francisco 49ers The recipient, running back Senorise Perry, has worn No. 32 for most of his life, but was forced to take No. 34 during a recent stint with the Miami Dolphins He expected keep No. 34 in Buffalo, but it was retired for Thurman Thomas Simpson told The Athletic that he does not mind the decision: 'It's not something I think about. There's too much else going on in life' The 27-year-old Perry said he believes the jersey comes with high expectations: 'I know that greatness comes with that number'By Alex Raskin Sports News Editor For Dailymail.com Published: 16:32 BST, 21 May 2019 | Updated: 16:32 BST, 21 May 2019 Viewcomments For the first time in 42 years, the Buffalo Bills have issued accused murder and convicted felon O.J. Simpson's old jersey number to a current player on the roster. The jersey has been out of use since 1977, when Simpson was traded from Buffalo to his hometown San Francisco 49ers. The recipient, recent free-agent acquisition Senorise Perry, has worn No. 32 for most of his life, but was forced to take No. 34 during a recent stint with the Miami Dolphins. The 27-year-old running back expected to stick with No. 34 in Buffalo, but that jersey number was retired for Hall of Famer Thurman Thomas. 'I thought [No. 32] was retired, but then I was told it was available,' Perry told The Athletic. 'Boom, I took it.' The Buffalo Bills did not immediately respond to the Daily Mail's request for comment. In speaking with The Athletic, Simpson said he is not upset about the decision. 'Whatever they do is fine with me,' Simpson said. 'That's how I feel. When I played there, I tried to honor the team. Since I left, I always tried to honor the Bills. 'And, to be honest, it's not something I think about. There's too much else going on in life.' Initially, the decision to keep Simpson's jersey out of circulation was ostensibly made out of respect. The former Heisman winner played nine seasons in Buffalo, winning four rushing titles and becoming the first player in NFL history to run for 2,000 yards in a single season. After pleading no contest to abusing his wife Nicole Brown in 1989, Simpson was famously acquitted of her murder in 1995. In a 1997 civil suit, however, Simpson was found liable for the deaths of Brown and her friend, Ronald Goldman. He was ordered to pay $33.5 million in damages. Later Simpson spent nine years in a Nevada prison after being convicted of kidnapping and armed robbery. He was paroled in October of 2017. Perry was born in 1991, and was still months away from his third birthday when Simpson was arrested for the brutal double murder in the summer of 1994. 'I know the situation,' Perry explained. 'I know that greatness comes with that number, playing in Buffalo. But I'm willing to take anything that comes my way. I'm going into my sixth year, and I know what it takes to get in this league and stay here. With that number on my back, I know I'm doing well for my family.' Both the Bills and the NFL have downplayed Simpson's legacy on the football field since 1994. He was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio in 1985, but has not been returned for the annual ceremony since then despite the fact that all enshrinees are invited every year. NFL.com actually prevents its users from customizing a 'No. 32' Bills jersey with Simpson's last name emblazoned on the back. However, the website does have a blind spot: fans can customize a San Francisco 49ers jersey like the one the Simpson wore over the final two years of his career. Fans can make a O.J. Simpson replica 49ers jersey, like the one he wore in 1978 and 1979 (right) Although fans can customize 'Simpson' on any team's jersey, specifically requesting O.J.'s No. 32 on a Buffalo Bills replica is a non-starter for NFL.com Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility