All-time NFL great running back Jim Brown dead at 87: Football star turned actor who starred in Any Given Sunday and Dirty Dozen died at home in Los Angeles
- The former Cleveland Browns running back passed away Thursday night with his wife Monique at his side
- Despite his short career, Brown was regarded as one of the game’s greatest of all time
- After retiring in 1964, he became an actor and starred in more than 30 films, including ‘Any Given Sunday’ and ‘The Dirty Dozen’.
Former NFL legend turned actor Jim Brown has passed away at his Los Angeles home at the age of 87.
The ex-Cleveland Browns running back passed away Thursday night after a battle with dementia, with his wife Monique by his side.
A source told DailyMail.com: ‘It was very peaceful and he was surrounded by his loved ones. He was a true Hollywood great and he will be missed.”
Brown was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971, having played for the team from 1957 to 1965.
Paying tribute to the iconic star, the Cleveland Browns said in a statement: “Legend. Leader. Activist. Visionary.
It is impossible to describe the deep love and gratitude we feel for the chance to be a small piece of Jim’s incredible life and legacy.
The star was voted the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1965 and shattered the league’s record books during his short career
Jim Brown has passed away at the age of 87 with his wife Monique by his side at his home in Los Angeles. Photographed in February
“We mourn his passing, but celebrate the indelible light he brought into the world. Our hearts are with Jim’s family, loved ones and everyone he has influenced along the way.”
The star was voted the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1965 and shattered the league’s record books during his brief career.
His wife Monique posted a heartbreaking tribute to her husband, writing, “It is with great sadness that I announce the passing of my husband, Jim Brown.
“He passed away peacefully last night at our home in LA. To the world, he was an activist, actor and football star.
“He was a loving and wonderful husband, father, and grandfather to our family. Our hearts are broken.’
Considered one of the greatest running backs of all time, Brown was selected to the NFL 100 all-time team in 2020.
He was ranked the greatest football player ever by the Sporting News in 2002 and was selected in the first round of the 1957 draft.
NFL Commissioner Roger Godell said, “On behalf of the entire NFL family, we extend our condolences to Monique and their family.
Jim Brown was a gifted athlete — one of the most dominant players ever on an athletic field — but also a cultural figure who helped drive change.
His wife Monique posted a heartbreaking tribute to her husband, describing him as a “great husband, father and grandfather”
The star was voted the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1965 and shattered the league’s record books during his short career
During his nine-year NFL career, which coincided with the civil rights movement here at home, he became a trailblazer and role model for athletes involved in social initiatives outside of their sport.
“He inspired fellow athletes to make a difference, especially in the communities where they lived.”
Born in February 1935 in St Simons, Georgia, he was the dominant player of his time before retiring in what many believe was his best time.
After he retired from football, he became an actor and starred in more than 30 films, including ‘Any Given Sunday’ and ‘The Dirty Dozen’.
Brown became a prominent leader in the Black Power movement during the civil rights struggle of the 1960s.
In later years, he worked to curb gang violence in LA and founded Amer-I-Can, a program to help underprivileged inner-city youth and ex-convicts.
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