Jim Brown, one of the NFL’s all-time greatest players, a social activist and actor, dies at 87

The football world lost an all-time great on Thursday, as Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown died at the age of 87. Brown, widely considered one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, had a long and distinguished post-playing career life as both an actor and a civil rights activist. 

Brown spent the entirety of his nine-year NFL career with the Cleveland Browns, and he was arguably the league’s best running back in every single one of those seasons. He led the NFL in rushing yards in eight of his nine campaigns, and led the league in both yards and touchdowns in five of them. He won league MVP three times and was named a Pro Bowler in each of his nine seasons and a First Team All-Pro in eight of them before abruptly retiring from the game in 1966 at the age of 30. 

At the time of his retirement, Brown owned most major NFL rushing records and was widely considered the best running back and arguably best player in the history of the sport. He is still the only player in NFL history to average at least 100 rushing yards per game. He was eventually enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and was named to the NFL’s 1960s All-Decade Team as well as its 50th, 75th, and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams.

The Browns released the following statement in the wake of his passing: 

Jim Brown is a true icon of not just the Cleveland Browns but the entire NFL. He was certainly the greatest to ever put on a Browns uniform and arguably one of the greatest players in NFL history. Jim was one of the reasons the Browns have such a tremendous fan base today. So many people grew up watching him just dominate every time he stepped onto the football field but his countless accolades on the field only tell a small part of his story. 

His commitment to making a positive impact for all of humanity off the field is what he should also be known for. In the time we’ve spent with Jim, especially when we first became a part…

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