Jim Brown, Legendary NFL Running Back, Activist, and Actor, Dies At 87

Jim Brown, the legendary NFL running back who retired at age 30 to focus on the civil rights movement and a career in Hollywood, has died.

He was 87.

Jim Brown dead at 87

“It is with profound sadness that I announce the passing of my husband, Jim Brown,” his wife Monique Brown wrote on Instagram. “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…”

Legendary pro football player

Brown was an exceptional running back, who led the NFL in rushing a record eight times in his nine seasons with the Cleveland Browns and rushed for a record 12,312 yards.

Jim Brown (Photo Source: Public Domain)

He played in nine Pro Bowls and was an NFL champion in 1964. In his final season, Brown rushed for a career-high 1,544 yards.

“One of the greatest players in NFL history, a true pioneer and activist. Jim Brown’s legacy will live on forever,” the NFL tweeted.

Brown won multiple MVP awards and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.

Brown is also considered one of the greatest lacrosse players in history, earning first and second team All-America honors while scoring more than 70 goals in two seasons at Syracuse University.

He was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1983.