Simpson told the parole board he wishes he had been a better Christian in the past and that he has tried to be a model prisoner during his incarceration.

"I was always a good guy, but I could have been a better Christian," he said.

The 70-year-old had asked four parole board members to release him now that he has served the minimum nine years of a 33-year sentence.

Simpson said he hasn't "drank" in nine years, in an apparent claim to being free from alcohol. He also said he has often mediated conflicts among inmates.

Simpson says that when he and others went to a Las Vegas hotel room a decade ago to confront two sports memorabilia dealers, he didn't know his companion was armed.

The former sports star described what led up to the armed robbery at that hotel, saying he never pointed a gun at anyone or made any threats during the crime that put him in prison.

Simpson stated Thursday that almost all the sports memorabilia items he saw in a collector's Las Vegas hotel room actually belonged to him. He had gone there to take back what he says was his property.

One of the sports memorabilia dealers in the robbery that put Simpson in prison told the parole board that Simpson has apologized to him and he has accepted it.

Bruce Fromong says he and Simpson have been friends for almost 27 years and that Simpson is not a threat. He said Simpson is a good man who made a mistake.

Simpson has been a widely controversial figure through the years. He was the main suspect in what has been called "The Trial of the Century" for the murder of his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. He was acquitted in that trial.

But Simpson's defenders have argued that his current sentence was out of proportion to the crime, saying he was being punished for the two murders for which he was acquitted back in 1995.

CBN News

To receive daily emails from Breaking Christian News to your inbox CLICK HERE

Why the Resurrection of Jesus Is the Most Important Event in History

President Trump Cited the Gospel of John in an Easter Message to Christians Worldwide

Artemis Astronaut Offers Easter Thoughts About the Bible and God's Provision for Humans

School Suspends Student For Supporting ICE Agents, after Allowing a Protest Against ICE

The 'Moment California Has Been Waiting For'; Trump Endorses Steve Hilton for Governor

Boise Removes LGBT 'pride' Flag from City Hall Due to New Idaho Law

Democrats Sue Over Trump's Executive Order on Mail-in Ballots

'God Was Watching Us': Trump, Ratcliffe, Hegseth Detail 'Miracle' Rescue of Airmen during Press Conference; 2 Top Iranian Terrorists Killed

An Easter Miracle!! 2nd Crew Member from Downed Jet in Iran Rescued and Safely Extracted after Intense Race to Reach Him before IRGC Terrorists

PRAYER ALERT: US F-15 Fighter Jet Downed in SW Iran, 1 Pilot Rescued and Safe; Search Continues for Second One

Dutch Sheets: Good Friday Message & Communion

'I Began to Pray': Pastor Talks Down Crazed Man Who Points Gun Directly at Him, Leads 10 to Christ

Trump HHS Renews Planned Parenthood Grants for 'Final Year' Due to Legalities, But 'Funds CANNOT Be Used for Abortions'

WATCH: Families at the Center of Washington State Transgender Sports Debate Stand Firm for Truth

Levin: Ruling Against Birthright Citizenship Should Be a 'Slam-Dunk' for Supreme Court [Video]

Colorado Appeals Court Reverses Tina Peters' Sentencing, Could This Lead to Her Freedom?

March Job Growth Triples Expectations, Unemployment Rate Dips

Artemis II Mission Pilot: 'We Need Jesus; Whether Here on Earth or Orbiting the Moon'

Democrat Lawmaker Steps Down, Says Faith No Longer Aligns with Left's Agenda

Trump Administration Charges 9 in Massive Massachusetts Fraud Scheme