Jim Brown — Legendary footballer, civil rights activist, and actor passes away at 87

Pro Football Hall of Famer and legendary Cleveland Browns running back Jim Brown passed away at the age of 87. Brown has left his mark both in the field of sports and acting. The star footballer retired at the peak of his career, switched to acting, and also became a prominent civil rights advocate during the 1960s.

According to a report by The Associated Press, he died peacefully on Thursday night at his Los Angeles home. His wife Monique was by his side in the last moments.

Expressing her grief, she wrote in an Instagram post, “ “To our family, he was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. Our hearts are broken.”

Jim Brown - The footballer and actor

He was one of the first football superstars to rise to such fame. Brown was given the title of the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1965 and shattered the league’s record books in a short career spanning 1957-65.

Before retiring from his football career he led the Cleveland Browns to their last NFL title in 1964. After this Brown moved to acting He appeared in more than 30 films, including “Any Given Sunday” and “The Dirty Dozen.”

With Brown creating records in football, his speed and endurance did not go unnoticed and his presence made the game more popular on television.

Jim Brown - social activist

Jim Brown used his talent and power to support social causes. When Black Americans were fighting for equality, he used his prowess to create and impact and voiced his support to advance their cause.

“I hope every Black athlete takes the time to educate themselves about this incredible man and what he did to change all of our lives,” NBA star LeBron James said. “We all stand on your shoulders Jim Brown. If you grew up in Northeast Ohio and were Black, Jim Brown was a God.

“As a kid who loved football, I really just thought of him as the greatest Cleveland Brown to ever play. Then I started my own journey as a professional athlete and realized what he did socially was his true greatness. When I choose to speak out, I always think about Jim Brown. I can only speak because Jim broke down those walls for me.”

Brown organised “The Cleveland Summit in 1967. This was a meeting between nation’s top Black athletes to voice their support for equal rights.

Bill Russell and Lew Alcindor were also a part of this who later became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, to support boxer Muhammad Ali’s fight against serving in Vietnam.

In later years, he worked to curb gang violence in LA and in 1988 founded Amer-I-Can, a program to help disadvantaged inner-city youth and ex-convicts.

FAQs

Q1:What caused Jim Brown's death?
As per various reports, Brown died of natural causes.

Q2:How old was Jim Brown when retired?
He walked away from football after the 1965 season, retiring at age 29