Jim Brown, arguably the greatest football player of all time, has died at the age of 87, TMZ Sports has confirmed.
“It is with profound sadness that I announce the passing of my husband, Jim Brown. He passed away 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,” Jim’s wife, Monique Brown, tells us.
We’re told Jim hadn’t been doing well … and was recently visited by several of his close friends including Marshall Faulk, Eric Dickerson, and Flavor Flav.
Brown, a first-round pick in 1957 (6th overall), went on to win 3 NFL MVP awards. Jim was named to 8 First Team All-Pro teams over the course of his incredible career. He led the NFL in rushing 8 times, and rushing touchdowns, 5. He won a championship in 1964.
Aside from his prowess on the football field, Brown was also a legendary lacrosse player at Syracuse, where he earned All-American honors.
After his athletic career, Jim went on to star as a Hollywood actor … in films like The Dirty Dozen and Any Given Sunday.
In addition to his incredible athleticism and talent on the big screen, Jim was also one of the most prominent voices on the civil rights scene. Most notably, Brown held the Cleveland Summitt in June 1967, in support of Muhammad Ali, who refused to serve in the Vietnam War.
Brown was joined by Bill Russell and Lew Alcindor (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar), and others.
Brown, whose #32 was retired by the Browns, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971 … and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995. He’s also a member of the Lacrosse HOF.
R.I.P.
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