Like many people, Merv Krakau had a vested interest in the O.J. Simpson verdict. But unlike most people, Krakau is a friend of the former defendant’s.

Merv Krakau, an All-American defensive end in the early 1970s at Iowa State, played five seasons in the NFL with O.J. Simpson for the Buffalo Bills, from 1973 through 1977.

Krakau, who now lives in Guthrie Center, was at work in Spencer when the verdict was revealed, but he had access to a television set.

“I really don’t know how to express the way I felt when the verdict was read,” Krakau said. “I was feeling a lot of emotions.”

The Simpson that Krakau knew was a far different one than the media has portrayed in the months following the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman.

“O.J. was the only veteran in camp who showed me any respect my rookie season,” Krakau said. “He went through the normal hazing process of first-year players himself, and he decided he wasn’t going to be that way when he was a veteran.”

In Krakau’s first season in the NFL Simpson became the first rusher in NFL history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a single season. At the news conference following his accomplishment, Simpson insisted that his offensive line be present and given equal credit.

“He was always a great team player,” Krakau said. “He never acted like he was better than anyone else on the team.”

Krakau said he considers Simpson a good friend.

“During the season we would get together and play cards on Monday nights, and I occasionally attended parties at he and his wife’s place, but that was the extent of it,” he said.

Krakau said he wanted to believe that Simpson was innocent.

“I personally never saw a side of O.J. that would indicate to me that he would be capable of committing anything like the two murders,” he said.

The last time Krakau saw Simpson was in November of 1993 at a reunion for the 1973 Buffalo Bills.

“He didn’t seem to change that much; he was the same old O.J.,” Krakau said.

Krakau said he felt Monday night that the jury’s quick decision meant a guilty verdict for Simpson.

“I think the jury made up their minds before the closing arguments,” he said. “Somewhere along the lines the jury decided that Simpson was not guilty behind a reasonable doubt.”

Krakau expressed relief that his former teammate was found innocent, but at the same time, he said he felt compassion and sadness for the families of the murder victims.