Passed away today at age 87.
From the AP:
Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown, the unstoppable running back who retired at the peak of his brilliant career to become an actor as well as a prominent civil rights advocate during the 1960s, has died. He was 87.
A spokeswoman for Brown’s family said he passed away peacefully in his Los Angeles home on Thursday night with his wife, Monique, by his side.
One of the greatest players in football history and one of the game’s first superstars, Brown was chosen the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1965 and shattered the league’s record books in a short career spanning 1957-65.
Brown led the Cleveland Browns to their last NFL title in 1964 before retiring in his prime after the ’65 season to become an actor. He appeared in more than 30 films, including “Any Given Sunday” and “The Dirty Dozen.”
An unstoppable runner with power, speed and endurance, Brown’s arrival sparked the game’s burgeoning popularity on television.
1957 NFL Rookie of the Year
4x NFL MVP (1957, 1958, 1963, 1965)
9x Pro Bowl selection (1957-1965)
8x First-team All-Pro (1957-1961, 1963-1965)
NFL's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
NFL's 100th Anniversary All-Time Team
Led the NFL in rushing 8 times
Led the NFL in touchdowns 5 times
NFL champion in 1964
12,312 rushing yards (NFL record at the time)
106 rushing touchdowns (NFL record at the time)
262 receptions for 2,499 yards and 20 touchdowns
Member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1971)
From the AP:
Pro Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown, the unstoppable running back who retired at the peak of his brilliant career to become an actor as well as a prominent civil rights advocate during the 1960s, has died. He was 87.
A spokeswoman for Brown’s family said he passed away peacefully in his Los Angeles home on Thursday night with his wife, Monique, by his side.
One of the greatest players in football history and one of the game’s first superstars, Brown was chosen the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1965 and shattered the league’s record books in a short career spanning 1957-65.
Brown led the Cleveland Browns to their last NFL title in 1964 before retiring in his prime after the ’65 season to become an actor. He appeared in more than 30 films, including “Any Given Sunday” and “The Dirty Dozen.”
An unstoppable runner with power, speed and endurance, Brown’s arrival sparked the game’s burgeoning popularity on television.
1957 NFL Rookie of the Year
4x NFL MVP (1957, 1958, 1963, 1965)
9x Pro Bowl selection (1957-1965)
8x First-team All-Pro (1957-1961, 1963-1965)
NFL's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
NFL's 100th Anniversary All-Time Team
Led the NFL in rushing 8 times
Led the NFL in touchdowns 5 times
NFL champion in 1964
12,312 rushing yards (NFL record at the time)
106 rushing touchdowns (NFL record at the time)
262 receptions for 2,499 yards and 20 touchdowns
Member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1971)