Jim Brown, a renowned professional and college football player, passed away peacefully in his home in Los Angeles at the age of 87. His wife, Monique, announced his death on Instagram. The post remembered Brown as not only an activist, actor, and football star, but also a loving husband, father, and grandfather. Brown was a legendary football player, who was named the greatest football player ever by the Sporting News in 2002. In 2020, he was selected to the NFL 100 all-time team and ranked as the No. 1 all-time player on the College Football 150 list.
Jim Brown’s Football Career
Brown was an exceptional football player who played nine seasons for the Cleveland Browns, leading the league in rushing eight of those years. He rushed for 12,312 yards and averaged 5.2 yards per carry over his career. He was named a Pro Bowler every year he played and led the Browns to the league championship game three times, winning the title in 1964. He also won the MVP award three times. Brown ran for at least 100 yards in 58 of his 118 regular-season games, never missing a game. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards in seven seasons, including 1,527 yards in one 12-game season and 1,863 in a 14-game season.
Jim Brown’s Social Activism
Apart from his football career, Jim Brown was also a social activist. During the Civil Rights Movement, he worked tirelessly to empower the Black community. In 1967, Brown organized “The Cleveland Summit,” a meeting of the nation’s top Black athletes, including Bill Russell and Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), to support boxer Muhammad Ali’s fight against serving in Vietnam. Brown also worked to curb gang violence in LA and founded Amer-I-Can, a program to help disadvantaged inner-city youth and ex-convicts. He also advocated for modern athletes to be more involved in the Black community. In a statement, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell called Brown a “gifted athlete” who “became a forerunner and role model for athletes being involved in social initiatives outside their sports.”
The Legacy of Jim Brown
Jim Brown retired at 30, at the top of his career, to focus on his movie career and social issues. Since his retirement, no Browns player has worn his No. 32, and a statue of him went up outside of FirstEnergy Stadium in 2016. The Browns owners, Jimmy and Dee Haslam, called Brown “a true icon” for the NFL. Brown was a multi-talented athlete who also lettered in four sports (football, lacrosse, basketball, and track) during his college career at Syracuse. He is considered one of the greatest lacrosse players of all time, once scoring five goals in one half of a collegiate all-star game. Brown’s persona has stood the test of time, and he will always be remembered as one of pro football’s greatest individuals.
Although Brown had several off-the-field incidents, his legacy as a football player and social activist remains intact. Brown’s accomplishments in the football world and his social activism have left an indelible mark on the world, and his contributions will continue to inspire generations to come.
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