The soccer world misplaced an all-time nice on Thursday, as Hall of Fame working again Jim Brown died at the age of 87. Brown, broadly thought-about one of many biggest gamers within the historical past of the game, had an extended and distinguished post-playing profession life as each an actor and a civil rights activist. 

Brown spent the whole lot of his nine-year NFL profession with the Cleveland Browns, and he was arguably the league’s finest working again in each single a type of seasons. He led the NFL in dashing yards in eight of his 9 campaigns, and led the league in each yards and touchdowns in 5 of them. He received league MVP 3 times and was named a Pro Bowler in every of his 9 seasons and a First Team All-Pro in eight of them earlier than abruptly retiring from the sport in 1966 on the age of 30. 

At the time of his retirement, Brown owned most main NFL dashing information and was broadly thought-about the most effective working again and arguably finest participant within the historical past of the game. He continues to be the one participant in NFL historical past to common not less than 100 dashing yards per recreation. He was finally enshrined within the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and was named to the NFL’s Sixties All-Decade Team in addition to its fiftieth, seventy fifth, and one centesimal Anniversary All-Time Teams.

The Browns launched the next assertion within the wake of his passing: 

Jim Brown is a real icon of not simply the Cleveland Browns however your entire NFL. He was definitely the best to ever placed on a Browns uniform and arguably one of many biggest gamers in NFL historical past. Jim was one of many causes the Browns have such an amazing fan base right this moment. So many individuals grew up watching him simply dominate each time he stepped onto the soccer discipline however his numerous accolades on the sector solely inform a small a part of his story. 

His dedication to creating a constructive impression for all of humanity off the sector is what he must also be identified for. In the time we have spent with Jim, particularly once we first turned part of the Browns, we discovered a lot from him concerning the unifying pressure sports activities could be and use sport as a automobile for change whereas making a constructive impression in the neighborhood. Jim broke down boundaries simply as he broke tackles. He fought for civil rights, introduced athletes from all totally different sports activities collectively to make use of their platform for good. Many thought Jim retired from soccer too quickly, however he at all times did it his means. From the soccer discipline, to Hollywood, to his work in athlete activism, Jim at all times performed the main function. His devotion to combating racial injustice, enhancing schooling for youth and positively impacting the various lives he has by means of his Amer-I-Can Program has left an enduring legacy nicely past all he completed on the sector. 

JIM BROWN IS THE CLEVELAND BROWNS AND OUR THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH HIS WIFE, MONIQUE, HIS CHILDREN AND ENTIRE FAMILY AS WELL AS ALL THOSEWHO MOURN THIS IMMENSE LOSS.

The NFL issued the next assertion via its Twitter account: 

We are heartbroken by the passing of the legendary Jim Brown. One of the best gamers in NFL historical past, a real pioneer and activist. Jim Brown’s legacy will dwell on without end.

Pro Football Hall of Fame President Jim Porter additionally issued a press release. “When Jim Brown’s name was announced in a room, other Hall of Famers stood and applauded him,” Porter stated. “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.”

Prior to his time within the NFL, Brown starred for the soccer staff at Syracuse, the place he additionally dominated on the lacrosse discipline, in addition to in basketball and monitor. He is enshrined in each the College Football Hall of Fame and the Lacrosse Hall of Fame, and the Premier Lacrosse League named its league MVP award in his honor. Shortly earlier than the top of his time in soccer, Brown launched into an appearing profession that finally spanned over 50 years and included credit like Any Given Sunday, He Got Game, Mars Attacks!, Ice Station Zebra, 100 Rifles, Slaughter, The Dirty Dozen, and extra. 

He was additionally a key voice within the Sixties civil rights motion, together with different Black athletes like Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then referred to as Lew Alcindor) and Muhammad Ali. In 1967, Brown organized a gathering in Cleveland of the nation’s prime Black athletes to assist Ali’s combat towards the conflict in Vietnam. In the Seventies, Brown based the Amer-I-Can Foundation, which teaches life abilities to gang members and prisoners. The basis stays energetic.

While his accomplishments on and off the sector have been many, Brown had a tumultuous private life that included quite a few arrests — most of them for alleged violence and threatened violence towards girls. In 1968, for instance, Brown was arrested and charged with assault with intent to commit homicide after police discovered his then-girlfriend, mannequin Eva Bohn-Chin, bloodied and injured at his house. It was suspected that Brown had thrown her off of the balcony. The expenses have been dismissed after Bohn-Chin refused to cooperate with prosecutors. Brown was additionally charged with and convicted of misdemeanor battery for beating and choking his golf accomplice in 1975, and in 1997 was charged with making terroristic threats towards his second spouse, Monique Brown, amongst a number of different violent incidents.

During an interview from jail the place he was serving time after refusing to attend home violence counseling, Brown acknowledged that he had points with anger however denied that he had points with girls. 

“I can definitely get angry, and I have taken that anger out inappropriately in the past,” he stated. “But I have done so with both men and women. So do I have a problem with women? No. I have had anger, and I’ll probably continue to have anger. I just have to not strike out at anyone ever again. I have to be smarter than that, smarter than I was. What I would say is that with wisdom, I will only use my mentality or my spirit aggressively. I will never use my hands [that way] again.”

CBS Sports will proceed to replace this publish.