Jim Brown, NFL Legend Who Became Pioneer On and Off Field, Dies at Age 87

The iconic Browns running back spent his entire nine-year career in Cleveland, carving a legacy that spanned the worlds of sports, entertainment and politics.

Jim Brown, the legendary Browns running back who became a pioneer both on and off the field, has died, according to multiple reports. He was 87 years old.

Brown’s wife, Monique Brown, confirmed the news of the icon’s death on Instagram Friday afternoon, announcing he “passed peacefully” in their Los Angeles home Thursday night.

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

Widely regarded as the greatest running back in NFL history, Brown spent his nine-year career with the Browns after entering the league as the sixth pick out of Syracuse in the 1957 draft. The hard-nosed tailback went on to become the only rookie to win NFL Rookie of the Year and NFL Most Valuable Player, setting in motion a Hall of Fame career that included nine Pro Bowl nods, eight first-team All-Pro selections, the ’58 and ’65 MVP awards and an NFL championship in ’64.

SI Staff: Remembering Jim Brown

Despite playing until only age 29, Brown reached heights few in the sport have achieved in its 103-year history, and left the game at the apex of his powers in 1966 as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher. For his career, Brown, who led the NFL in rushing yards a record eight times, amassed 12,312 rushing yards and 106 rushing touchdowns, as well as 262 receptions for 2,499 yards and 20 receiving scores.

Jim Brown’s wife Monique announced the passing of the Cleveland Browns great at age of 87. Perhaps the most singularly dominant player in NFL history, Brown retired as the game’s all-time leading rusher.

He led the NFL in rushing in 8 of his 9 seasons and won league MVP 3 times. pic.twitter.com/mHGo07LRT0

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) May 19, 2023

Born on Feb. 17, 1936, in St. Simons Island, Ga., Brown was raised by his grandmother before moving with his mother when he was 8 to Manhasset, N.Y., on Long Island. It was there where Brown eventually made his mark as a budding athlete at the Manhasset Secondary School, earning 13 letters in several sports including football, lacrosse, basketball and track.

In 1953, Brown enrolled at Syracuse without a scholarship and was the only Black player on the freshman football team, which all first-year players were required to join at the time. Injuries to players ahead of him on the depth chart the following year presented the multitalented athlete with a chance to see more reps on the varsity football team, and he would seize the opportunity to its full advantage.

Brown would letter 10 times at Syracuse in basketball, football, lacrosse and track, but his true passion was on the gridiron. He left Syracuse for the NFL in 1957 after tallying 2,091 yards rushing and 19 rushing TDs over three seasons and earning two All-American honors, including a unanimous selection his senior year after a season that saw him finish fifth in Heisman voting. 

Over the next decade, Brown forged an indelible legacy as an NFL superstar, while also lending his voice and platform as a civil rights activist. Upon retiring from football in July 1966, Brown transitioned to a rich, decades-long career as a full-time movie and TV star, and activist who strived to support under-resourced youth and formerly incarcerated people.

Jim Brown Forever 🧡🤎♾️

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. We mourn his passing, but celebrate the indelible light he… pic.twitter.com/F2rrTUnsc1

— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 19, 2023

Off the field, Brown made a historical impact in a variety of ways. In June 1967 he organized the legendary Cleveland Summit, where he, Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) supported Muhammad Ali’s stance against the Vietnam War. In ’69, Brown and actress Raquel Welch made waves in the film 100 Rifles for portraying the first interracial love scenes in film history. Brown also founded the Black Economic Union in ’68 and the Amer-I-Can Program in ’88.

Brown’s career was not without controversy as the NFL legend faced numerous assault charges. In the first four cases the charges were either dropped or he was acquitted after female survivors decided not to testify against him. In 1999, Brown, who was 66 at the time, was arrested after his wife, Monique, then 25, called 911 from a neighbor’s house in Hollywood Hills to report that her husband had smashed the windows of her car after they had an argument. He accepted 180 days in jail in 2002 rather than submit to a year of domestic violence counseling.

Brown appeared in his 57th and final project as an actor in 2010, and appeared sparingly in documentaries and other projects over the remaining years of his life. In all, Brown etched an undeniable place in U.S. and sports history over the span of his 60-plus-year career. His No. 44 Syracuse jersey and No. 32 Browns jersey have been retired, and he received inductions into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971, College Football Hall of Fame in ’95 and even the Lacrosse Hall of Fame in ’83. 

Brown is survived by his second wife, Monique, whom he married in 1997, and their two children, as well as three children from previous relationships.