Vincent Frank
For a decade between the late 1950s and mid 1960s, Jim Brown was the face of the NFL. The former Cleveland Browns running back led the league in rushing eight times during a nine-year span, helping Cleveland to its last NFL Championship in the process.
It was with a heavy heart that Brown’s wife, Monique, posted on social media Friday afternoon that the legendary Brown died at the age of 87.
“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,” Monique Brown said in a statement.
The life of Jim Brown was complicated
A first-round pick of the Browns out of Syracuse back in 1957, Brown transcended professional sports and become a national icon during his day. He will not only go down as one of the greatest football players of all-time, but Brown’s legacy extended far beyond the gridiron.
One of the biggest activists of his time, Brown used his platform to help enact social change around the United States.
Back in 1967, Brown organized a meeting between other high-profile Black Americans to show support for Muhammad Ali and his fight against the Vietnam War.
“It was the United States government that we were dealing with. Careers were at stake. And everybody that showed up at that meeting put all of that on the line. That was heavyweight stuff,” Jim Brown once said.
He also worked to help prevent gang violence in Los Angeles by founding the Amer-I-Can program to lift up inner-city youth in the region.
On the field, Brown played all nine seasons with the Cleveland Browns. His best performance came in 1963 when he put up 1,863 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns en route to winning what would be a third of four MVP awards.
Off the field, Brown’s life wasn’t without some controversy. In 1965, Brown was arrested in his hotel room for assault against an 18-year-old woman. He was later acquitted on those charges. In 1986, Brown was arrested for allegedly assaulting his then-fiancée, Debra Clark. He was later released when Clark refused to press charges.
More recently, Brown was arrested in 1999 on making terrorist threats against his wife, Monique Brown. He ended up being found guilty of vandalism and was sentenced to three years of probation and one year of domestic violence classes.
Despite this, Mrs. Brown stood with her husband through the ups and downs. The two had two children together and were married for over a quarter century.
