One of the earliest superstars of the NFL, Jim Brown has passed away at the age of 87. Brown was a legendary footballer, a Hollywood actor, and a social rights activist. He has amassed great achievements throughout his life before his wife announced his death in an Instagram post.
Brown’s wife, Monique Brown, wrote, “It is with profound sadness that I announce the passing of my husband, Jim Brown. He passed peacefully last night at our LA home. To the world he was an activist, actor, and football star. To our family, he was a loving and wonderful husband, father, and grandfather. Our hearts are broken…”
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Reports suggest that Brown died of natural causes at his LA home on Thursday night. Brown had spent his entire NFL career playing for Cleveland Browns. They also tweeted about him. The tweet said, “Legend. Leader. Activist. Visionary.
It’s impossible to describe the profound love and gratitude we feel for having the opportunity to be a small piece of Jim’s incredible life and legacy. We mourn his passing, but celebrate the indelible light he brought to the world.
Our hearts are with Jim’s family, loved ones, and all those he impacted along the way.”
Jim Brown Forever 🧡🤎♾️
Legend. Leader. Activist. Visionary.
It’s impossible to describe the profound love and gratitude we feel for having the opportunity to be a small piece of Jim’s incredible life and legacy. We mourn his passing, but celebrate the indelible light he… pic.twitter.com/F2rrTUnsc1
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 19, 2023
Brown was part of several industries. He made a name for himself wherever he put his foot. Let’s take a look at what he has achieved in his life.
Jim Brown’s short-lived NFL career was enough to give him legendary status
Jim Brown was the sixth pick in the draft that took place in 1957. He was picked up by Cleveland Browns and won Offensive Rookie of the Year that season. He went on to represent the same team till 1965.
According to Statmuse, “Jim Brown played 9 seasons for the Browns. He had 2,359 carries for 12,312 yards, 262 catches for 2,499 yards and scored 126 touchdowns. He was selected to play in 9 Pro Bowls.”
Jim Brown #32 https://t.co/tWMrp6PdjT pic.twitter.com/GbYXR4qwKi
— Tom’s Old Days (@sigg20) May 13, 2023
Brown took home 3 MVP awards and 1 championship. He was also inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971. His famed number 32 has been retired since his retirement and no Browns player has ever worn the number. His statue was erected outside the Browns’ stadium in 2016. According to BBC, Brown was also named “American football’s greatest player of the 20th Century, by the Associated Press news agency and Sporting News.”
Brown shocked the world in 1966 when he announced his retirement from football at the age of 30. He went on to focus more on his acting career.
Jim Brown made history in Hollywood
Just a year after announcing his retirement, Brown appeared in the movie The Dirty Dozen (1967). The movie was based on World War Two and was filmed in England. It was a huge commercial success and Brown was even nominated for awards.
Jim Brown in The Dirty Dozen, 1967. pic.twitter.com/krjoASOdoX
— TCMFanatics (@Zsavooz) May 19, 2023
Brown devoted himself to acting and appeared in over 30 films in his acting career. In 1969, Brown appeared next to Raquel Welch in ‘100 Rifles’. The pair made history in that movie. According to BBC, they were part of “the first interracial love scene in a major Hollywood film.”
During his time in Hollywood, Brown had certain nicknames including ‘black Superman’ and ‘black John Wayne.’
Jim Brown was a social activist but was involved in several crimes
Brown was very vocal about the issues faced by America. He was one of the most vocal black athletes during his time. The NFL legend, in 1967, called a meeting of African-American athletes which was also attended by NBA legend, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The agenda of the meeting was to champion Muhammad Ali‘s opposition to the Vietnam War.
He had dedicated himself to social activism and helped buzzing entrepreneurs and disabled people. However, he was also involved in multiple crimes. He was never found guilty of any major offenses as his accusers declined to testify in some of the cases. In other cases, the jury ruled in his favor.
He was arrested multiple times. According to BBC, he was arrested “when he was suspected of throwing a model off a second-floor balcony. She said she slipped.”
In 1997, he married Monique, who announced his death recently. In 1999, Monique accused him of threatening and abusing her. He was convicted of misdemeanor vandalism as he had smashed his wife’s car with a shovel. Later, Monique stated that there was no truth to her accusation. She accused him falsely because she thought he was cheating on her.
Jim Brown was involved in his fair share of controversies throughout his life.