Jim Brown: The Hero The NFL Needed

Image via nfl.com

Jim Brown, a legendary professional and collegiate football player, has passed away. He was 87.

Monique Brown, Brown's wife, revealed his death on Instagram Friday afternoon. Brown "passed peacefully" Thursday night at their Los Angeles home, she added.

"To the rest of the world, he was an activist, actor, and football star," according to the post. "He was a loving and wonderful husband, father, and grandfather to our family." "Our hearts have been broken..."

Brown was named to the NFL 100 all-time team and the College Football 150 list in 2020 to mark the anniversaries of those sports. The Sporting News named him the finest football player of all time in 2002.

He had at least 100 yards rushing in 58 of his 118 regular-season games, never missing one. In seven seasons, he carried for more than 1,000 yards, including 1,527 yards in a 12-game season and 1,863 yards in a 14-game season.

Brown also pushed for deeper involvement of current athletes in the Black community.


In a statement, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell described Brown as a "gifted athlete" who "became a forerunner and role model for athletes being involved in social initiatives outside of their sports."