Cleveland, Ohio (92.3 The Fan/WGR 550) – Cleveland Browns Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown has passed away at the age of 87.
“It is with profound sadness that I announce the passing of my husband, Jim Brown,” Monique Brown, Brown’s wife, posted on the Hall of Famer’s official social media accounts. “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.”
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Arguably the greatest running back of all-time, Brown was an eight-time All-Pro and was named a Pro Bowler in each of his nine years in the NFL. He held the league’s records for yards with 12,312 and 126 touchdowns when he retired at the age of 30.
“Jim Brown is a true icon of not just the Cleveland Browns but the entire NFL,” Jimmy and Dee Haslam said in a statement released by the team. “He was certainly the greatest to ever put on a Browns uniform and arguably one of the greatest players in NFL history. Jim was one of the reasons the Browns have such a tremendous fan base today. So many people grew up watching him just dominate every time he stepped onto the football field but his countless accolades on the field only tell a small part of his story.”
In recent years Brown served as a special advisor to the Haslams, who bought the franchise in 2012 and repaired, what had become, a fractured relationship with the franchise’s greatest player.
In 2016, the Browns unveiled a statue outside of Cleveland Browns Stadium of Brown.
His No. 32 is retired by the club, and his name resides in the Ring of Honor alongside the franchise’s Hall-of-Famers and Clay Matthews Jr.
“On behalf of the entire NFL family, we extend our condolences to Monique and their family,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “Jim Brown was a gifted athlete - one of the most dominant players to ever step on any athletic field - but also 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. He inspired fellow athletes to make a difference, especially in the communities in which they lived.”
Earlier this year, the NFL renamed the rushing title trophy in honor of Brown – The Jim Brown Trophy.
Brown was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971 and was named to the NFL’s 100th anniversary all-time team in 2019, the “All-Decade team” for the 1960’s, the NFL’s 75th anniversary team and the All-Time NFL Team in 2000.
“When Jim Brown’s name was announced in a room, other Hall of Famers stood and applauded him,” Pro Football Hall of Fame president Jim Porter said in a statement. “His persona has stood the test of time – a fearless and dominant football player. Jim will always be remembered as one of pro football’s greatest individuals.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Jim’s wife, Monique, and their entire family. The Hall of Fame will honor his legacy for years to come.”