NFL Legend Jim Brown Dead at 87
The sports world is mourning the loss of an icon.
Jim Brown, an NFL champion turned actor and civil rights activist, died May 18 at his Los Angeles home, his wife Monique Brown shared on Instagram. He was 87.
"To the world he was an activist, actor, and football star," Monique wrote May 19. "To our family, he was a loving and wonderful husband, father, and grandfather. Our hearts are broken."
She didn't share a cause of death.
Jim's rep Rhiannon Ellis called him a "trailblazer in American culture" while sharing a statement on his legacy.
Jim's professional sports legacy career in 1957, when he was selected in the first round of the NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns. He would go on to be named Rookie of the Year, become a three-time NFL MVP and lead the Cleveland Browns to an NFL Championship in 1964. A year later, Jim, who played the running back position, retired at age 29.
He then turned toward Hollywood, acting in The Dirty Dozen, Ice Station Zebra and The Split. His credits also include roles in The Running Man, I'm Gonna Git You Sucka, Mars Attacks!, He Got Game and Any Given Sunday.
Notably, his appearance in 1969's 100 Rifles, where he acted alongside the late Raquel Welch, featured the first intimate love scene between a Black man and a white woman, according to his rep.
Outside of sports and acting, Jim focused his efforts on civil rights.
"He was most proud of his social activism and using his platform to empower others during a racially tense American time," his rep said in a statement. "He was already active in the Civil Rights movement when he organized The Cleveland Summit, a June 1967 gathering of 12 of America's most prominent Black athletes in support of Muhammad Ali and his decision to abstain from serving in the Vietnam War. It was seen as a turning point in American sports that is still frequently cited when contemporary athletes make moral or political stances."
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also echoed the sentiment, describing Jim—who was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1971—as 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 said in an NFL press release. "He inspired fellow athletes to make a difference, especially in the communities in which they lived."
Jim is survived by his wife Monique; children Aris, Morgan, Jim Jr., Kevin, Kimberly, Shellee and Kim; and multiple grandchildren. His daughter Karen Ward died in 2016.
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