‘Plenty other Black athletes across the years chased TV and film roles — Sugar Ray Robinson, Bernie Casey and Woody Strode among them. It was never an easy transition. The trained actors always seemed to show up the athlete turned character, quietly proving that acting was a serious craft and intense training was beneficial. O.J. just showed up. He was ready to go. He told friends that he knew all about drama from his upbringing, poor and Black in San Francisco.’