Shreveport business owner fondly remembers friendship with O.J. Simpson
Later on, Simpson developed cancer, and Mr. Woods was sad to hear the news. He wanted to visit him in hospice, but he was told not to now, just wait.
SHREVEPORT, La. (KTAL/KMSS)-Shreveport's Bernie Woods knew O.J. Simpson most of his life; their mothers attended school together but lost touch when O.J.'s family moved from Rodessa, La., to San Francisco.
Years later, Woods would move to California, and the two reconnected and considered each other like family.
Because of his Rodessa roots, Simpson was a frequent visitor to the area. During one of those visits, we caught up with him as he was arriving at the Shreveport Regional Airport.
O.J. said, “Weddings, anniversaries, some birthdays, so we just here celebrating and catching up. It's been a while since I've been here. So we are going to play a little golf and eat some good food."
Simpson loved golf and so did Bernie, in the beginning, O.J. would beat him but later on he was beating O.J. and they would laugh and joke about how competitive they were.
Later on, Simpson developed cancer, and Woods was sad to hear the news. He wanted to visit him in hospice, but he was told not to now, just wait.
They had plans to see each other for a family reunion in July, which won't happen now, but Woods did get to say goodbye.
"He called, and we talked on Sunday; he said his goodbyes to me," he said. "He actually waved and told me goodbye."