Jim Brown, one of football’s all-time greats, has died. He was 87. Brown’s wife, Monique, announced his passing in an Instagram post Friday.
The Hall of Fame running back dominated his era like no other ball carrier, blazing an unparalleled trail during his career at Syracuse and with the Browns. Brown’s wife revealed the legendary figure passed peacefully Thursday at his Los Angeles home.
“To the world he was an activist, actor, and football star,” Monique Brown’s post stated. “To our family he was a loving and wonderful husband, father, and grandfather. Our hearts are broken...”
From an NFL perspective, it is difficult to overstate Brown’s towering presence. The bruising back played nine seasons; he won eight rushing titles. No one else has more than four. Brown stands as one of the few with a claim to the greatest player in NFL history. A sublime blend of power and speed, the No. 6 overall pick in the 1957 draft held four of the league’s top five rushing seasons when he retired after the 1965 campaign.
While Walter Payton broke Brown’s career rushing record in 1984, the Cleveland legend retired with a 2,600-yard lead on the field. Brown’s three MVP awards place him behind only Peyton Manning and Aaron Rodgers in NFL history. In the Associated Press MVP award’s existence (1957-present), Brown is the only non-quarterback to win the honor more than once.
Lettering in football, lacrosse, track and basketball at Syracuse, Jim Brown joined Paul Brown‘s team which had struggled in its first post-Otto Graham season (1956). Brown ripped off five straight All-Pro seasons, soon teaming with a fellow future Hall of Famer — halfback Bobby Mitchell, who later finished his career as a Washington wide receiver — in Cleveland’s offense.
Brown won MVP honors as a rookie, but his second season provided a better statistical illustration of the gap between Cleveland’s back and his peers. He amassed a record-breaking 1,527 rushing yards that year; the second-place finisher in that 12-game season totaled 791. The 230-plus-pound back finished with a career-high 1,863 yards in 1963. The Browns’ most recent championship came a year later; Brown finished that 1964 finale — a 27-0 shutout over the Colts — with 151 yards from scrimmage. Brown then powered Cleveland to the 1965 NFL championship game — a loss to Green Bay in the last NFL title game during the pre-Super Bowl era — before retiring ahead of the 1966 season. Brown finished his career having never missed a game.
“It’s impossible to describe the profound love and and gratitude we feel for having the opportunity to be a small piece of Jim’s incredible life and legacy,” the Browns said in a statement. “We mourn his passing, but celebrate the indelible light he brought to the world.”
An emerging actor by the mid-1960s, Brown had not intended to wrap his career following the 1965 season. But a dispute with owner Art Modell from the set of the movie The Dirty Dozen led to the icon hanging up his cleats just before the ’66 campaign. As the film’s production ran long, Modell had vowed to fine Brown $100 for every day he was not at training camp. Rather than return to the team, as he had planned to for at least one more season, Brown sent Modell a letter apologizing for the circumstances. In that message, the then-30-year-old back informed the Browns he would retire to devote time to social issues and his movie career. Brown’s film and television credits surpassed 50.
While still active as a player, Brown helped found what later became known as the Black Economic Union. That self-help organization for Black athletes became the backdrop for “The Cleveland Summit,” which gathered a contingent of socially conscious Black athletes from multiple sports — including Bill Russell and Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) — to discuss then-heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali’s stance against serving in Vietnam.
A celebrated figure, Brown did leave a complicated legacy. He was arrested multiple times on charges of striking women and spent months in jail in 2000 for a refusal to attend counseling after being convicted for vandalizing his wife’s car.
On the field, Brown’s imprint is unassailable. A 2010 ranking conducted by coaches, players, executives and media members slotted Brown as the second-best player in NFL history — behind only Jerry Rice. ESPN’s ranking of the top 150 college football players placed Brown at No. 1. Brown’s 126 touchdowns and 12,312 rushing yards now sit 10th and 11th, respectively, on those all-time lists. Brown reached these totals in fewer games than the backs who eclipsed him; he played four seasons in the NFL’s 12-game era and his final five when the regular season consisted of 14 games. The nine-year veteran remains the only player to average more than 100 rushing yards per game for his career, topping that list (with 104.3) by nearly five yards.
Legend
Scumbag. Great player but he was a loser.
The only harsh comment I have read about Brown. I see you have some people who agree. You want to provide any info I am not aware of?
Why would you even respond to this troll? People like him are why the “flag” option exists.
J817, a quick google search is all you need. For as great as he was on the field he led an angry, troubled life off it.
It’s in the article
A celebrated figure, Brown did leave a complicated legacy. He was arrested multiple times on charges of striking women and spent months in jail in 2000 for a refusal to attend counseling after being convicted for vandalizing his wife’s car
Jim Brown was the best RB of his era, Maybe any era. Nobody could stop him. For power and speed, Brown and Walter Payton were the best as far as I’m concerned. He got out after only 8 years and just trashed the record book anyway. If he had played another 5 years we might be looking at an unbreakable record. RIP big guy.
Averages per game……….Brown was the best
I was only 11 when Jim played his final NFL season but even at that young age he made a strong impact on me. The word legend is tossed around rather casually but Brown was the real deal.
In my teens a watched Earl Campbell run over people(loved Earl) my dad would always argue Jim Brown would destroy today`s NFL and 16 games? Brown would have had 2500 yards in a season.
Big Earl was as big or bigger than some of the lineman or linebackers he faced. He just powered through people. I remember a linebacker tried to tackle him, and he put his helmet in his chest and pushed him back at least 10 yards.
Jim Brown and Barry Sanders are my favorite backs all-time.
Jim Brown True American Hero. Rest easy legend.
Tremendous athlete who lived a very interesting life.
The original GOAT. He was the standard setter to which others will be compared to. RIP
Incredible athlete that people are going to miss, but he was also an incredibly horrible person outside of his great football career.
Jim Brown was a football legend before there were legends. If you look at his carries and yards he avg 192 yard a game. his totals are based on less years than running backs which is also amazing.
Jefferson Light`em!!!!!!!
Watched his Football Life a few times yesterday. And heard a lot of praise. Superstars that have run in’s with the law is ok most times. But this guy had a few. Beating women. He is very revered by many of his piers. And he was a human highlight on the field. I’m not sold on the great man part of him.
The media back in his day, brushed past his legal issues. If he was playing today, they would’ve roasted him alive.
But he beat women and lashed out all the way up until recent times, but he was just a swell guy and “activist” so they never roasted him.
When Barry Sanders was active, a local Detroit radio station would call Barry’s dad seeking comments on his son’s performance. His typical response “He’s good, but he’s not as good as Jim Brown”.
I think there are just too many variables between eras to make valid comparisons. Payton and Sanders weren’t as dominating as Brown but they faced better defenses in their era.
R.I.P. Mr. Brown…I blame the offseason.
p.s. all due respect.