Jim Brown, one of the greatest NFL players of all-time, died Thursday night at the age of 87. The Pro Football Hall of Famer is widely considered the best running back ever, and the numbers back it up. During his nine-year career with the Cleveland Browns (1957-65), Brown was a three-time NFL MVP and earned first-team All-Pro honors eight times. He also led the league in rushing in all but one of his nine seasons.
That said, Brown was so much more than a legendary football player. He's regarded as one of the best lacrosse players of all time -- the rules were changed as a result of his dominance -- and he enjoyed a prominent and impactful post-football career as an actor and civil rights activist.
In celebration of Brown's life, here are 32 facts about No. 32 (information provided by the Cleveland Browns).
- Born James Nathaniel Brown in St. Simons Island, Ga. on Feb. 17, 1936.
- Cleveland's No. 1 draft choice (sixth overall) in 1957.
- Despite playing just 118 games, he still ranks among the NFL all-time leading RBs in rushing average (third), rushing touchdowns (sixth) and rushing yards (11th).
- Led the NFL in rushing during eight of his nine seasons.
- Led the league in touchdowns five seasons.
- A statue of his likeness was unveiled outside the southeast corner of Cleveland Browns Stadium in 2016.
- Founded the Amer-I-Can Program in 1988. The program works in schools, prisons and communities across the country.
- Member of the NFL 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, 75th Anniversary All-Time Team and 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
- Named to the NFL's 1960s All-Decade Team.
- Helped the Browns to three NFL Championship games, including capturing the title in 1964.
- Attended Manhasset High School in Manhasset and earned 13 varsity letters in five sports: football, lacrosse, baseball, basketball and track.
- Enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame in 1971.
- Enshrined in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1984.
- Enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995.
- No other Browns player has worn his legendary No. 32 since his retirement in 1965.
- Selected to nine consecutive Pro Bowls.
- Three-time NFL MVP (1957, 1958 and 1965), the only non-QB in NFL history to win the award three times.
- Named NFL Rookie of the Year in 1957.
- First player in NFL history to eclipse 10,000 career rushing yards.
- Rushed for 12,312 yards on 2,359 career carries in 118 games.
- When he retired he held the NFL record for rushing attempts, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.
- Inducted into the Cleveland Browns Ring of Honor.
- Syracuse retired his No. 44.
- Multisport athlete at Syracuse as he also participated in basketball, track and lacrosse.
- As an actor, appeared in films ranging from 1964-2014.
- While at Syracuse, earned All-American honors in football and lacrosse and was one of the basketball team's top scorers.
- Only player in NFL history to average more than 100 rushing yards per game.
- Still Cleveland Browns record holder in numerous categories, including career rushing yards (12,321), career rushing touchdowns (106), most total touchdowns (126), most total touchdowns in a season (21 in 1965), rushing yards in a season (1,886 in 1963), rushing touchdowns in a season (17 in 1958 and 1965), rushing average for a season (6.40 in 1963) and most rushing touchdowns in a game (five at the Baltimore Colts on Nov. 1, 1959).
- Never missed a game in any of his nine NFL seasons.
- In February 2023, the NFL announced it had renamed its league rushing title as The Jim Brown Award.
- His final season, he led the NFL in rushing yards with 1,544.
- Brown's total rushing yards in his final season were 677 more yards than runner-up Gale Sayers.
