The family announced the legend died peacefully Thursday in Los Angeles.
Jim Brown, the legendary Cleveland Browns running back and Hall of Famer who shocked the world when he cut his football career short to go into acting and was later revered for his civil rights activism, has died. He was 87.
Brown's wife, Monique, announced on Instagram that he died peacefully Thursday night in his Los Angeles home. Brown, widely regarded as one of the all-time greats, played nine seasons with the Browns. He led the league in rushing for eight of those seasons, and the nine-time Pro Bowler would finish with an illustrious 12,312 career rushing yards and 106 touchdowns.
The three-time NFL MVP was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995.
Born James Nathaniel Brown on February 17, 1936 in Georgia, Brown displayed tremendous promise as a five-sport star in New York before becoming a Syracuse football great. His father was a professional boxer but abandoned him two weeks after his birth. Brown's mother abandoned him when he was only 2 years old to take a job (they reconnected six years later), and he was raised by his great-grandmother while living with their grandmother, who was an alcoholic.
Drafted as the sixth overall pick in the 1957 NFL Draft, Brown led the Browns to an appearance in the NFL championship game in his rookie season, losing to the Detroit Lions, 59-14. He'd lead the Browns to an NFL championship in 1964, when they routed the Baltimore Colts, 27-0. In 34-degree weather, Brown rushed for 114 yards on 27 carries. Though he didn't score in the game, Brown made three pivotal catches and ripped a 46-yard run in the third quarter that beautifully set up an 18-yard touchdown pass. The Browns were a 7-point underdog at kickoff.
They'd return to the 1965 title game, but lost to the Green Bay Packers, 23-12. In a shocking move, Brown announced his retirement in July 1966 at just 30 years old to pursue a career in acting. Upon retirement, Brown had secured the NFL's all-time rushing crown with 12,312 yards. That feat was broken in 1984 by another legend, the late Walter Payton.
Brown made his acting debut in the Western flick, Rio Conchos, playing a buffalo soldier. But it was in 1966, while on the London set of his next film, The Dirty Dozen, when he announced his retirement. It was shocking, but also the result of "when push comes to shoves," after team owner Art Modell ordered his star to report to training camp and threatened to fine him $1,500 for every week he missed.
Brown had already agreed to return for one more season but would only do so after he finished filming. But when Modell issued his threat, Brown announced his retirement effective immediately.
"This decision is final," Brown said at the time. "I'm no longer preparing mentally for football. I'm committing myself to other things. I'm not going to play again."
The Dirty Dozen would become a box office hit, grossing more than $45 million in 1967 which, according to Good Morning America, is more than $500 million in 2020 adjusted for inflation.
The move to quit football in favor of acting paid off. Brown landed his first lead in 1968 with The Split, a crime drama based on Donald E. Westlake's novel, The Seventh. He'd go on to star in hits like Ice Station Zebra and co-star alongside Raquel Welch and Burt Reynolds in 100 Rifles, which also made history by featuring the first interracial love scene (with Welch) in a major film. He also appeared in numerous TV shows, including Knight Rider and The A-Team.
Prior to making his acting debut in 1967, Brown organized the famous "Cleveland Summit," which included NBA legend Bill Russell and UCLA standout Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), to support Muhammad Ali, who vowed not to fight in Vietnam after he refused to be drafted. Ali would ultimately be convicted for refusing induction in the armed forces.
Brown would spend his life helping empower the Black community. But his life also didn't come without controversy. Brown was arrested six times on a number of domestic violence charges. He was charged with rape, sexual battery and assault in 1985 but those charges were ultimately dropped. He was arrested again the following year after allegedly hitting his fiancée at the time. According to multiple reports, Brown was acquitted of domestic threats against his wife in 1999, but convicted of smashing the window of her car. He'd go on to spend time in jail after refusing to attend domestic violence counseling.
"Earlier today we received word that Jim Brown has passed away. He was 87. On behalf of the entire NFL family, we extend our condolences to Monique and their family," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in a statement. "Jim Brown was a gifted athlete -- one of the most dominant players to ever step on any athletic field -- but also a cultural figure who helped promote change."
"During his nine-year NFL career, which coincided with the civil rights movement here at home, he became a forerunner and role model for athletes being involved in social initiatives outside their sport," Goodell continued. "He inspired fellow athletes to make a difference, especially in the communities in which they lived."
The team also released a statement and praised Brown as a "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," read the statement. "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."
Brown was married Sue Brown in 1959 and they had three children. They divorced in 1972. He proposed to an 18-year-old woman in 1973 but they broke off the engagement the following year. He'd go on to marry Monique in 1997 and they had two children.
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