NFL legend and civil rights activist Jim Brown passed away at 87 years old on Thursday, his wife Monique announced.
Brown, who was an NFL fullback from 1957 to 1965 with the Cleveland Browns, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971 following a career that saw him rush 12,312 yards, a record that stood until Walter Payton broke it in 1984.
Brown also made nine Pro Bowls and was an eight-time All-Pro at the time of his retirement, and also led the Browns to a 1964 NFL Title, one of the last such games before the Super Bowl era began in 1967.
Among the current and former NFL stars paying tribute to Brown in the wake of his passing is recently retired defensive lineman JJ Watt, who’ll likely join Brown in the Hall of Fame later this decade.
“An absolute legend,” Watt wrote on Twitter, adding a prayer emoji. “Rest in Peace Jim Brown.”
Emmitt Smith, a Hall of Fame running back and Cowboys legend thanked a man who paved a path for him.
“My heart aches at this very moment after hearing of the passing of Jim Brown,” he wrote. “He is and was a true legend in sports and in the community using his platform to help others. Thanks King”
Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay referred to Brown as “THE greatest ever” on his Twitter account.
Former Super Bowl-winning cornerback Jason McCourty, who played with the Browns in 2017, remarked at seeing Brown during his time in Cleveland.
“It was cool as hell seeing him in the hallways and having conversations with him during my season in Cleveland!” McCourty wrote. “A leader and difference maker on and off the field!”
Hall of Fame running back Tony Dorsett, who became only the second ever to pass Brown’s previous mark after Payton — retiring in 1988 after 12,739 rushing yards, four Pro Bowls and a Super Bowl — shared his view of the NFL legend.
“There isn’t a man who played running back in the NFL who didn’t see Jim Brown as an iconic legend on and off the field,” he tweeted. “Rest easy, my brother.”
Brown’s death also reached beyond the NFL, fitting for a civil rights activist and a bona fide Hollywood actor.
Long-time New York sports radio host Mike Francesa called Jim Brown “the greatest player to ever step on an NFL field.”
Rapper Flavor Flav of revolutionary hip-hop group Public Enemy called Brown his “mentor and hero” upon receiving the news.
Brown’s passing was announced by his wife Monique in an Instagram post on Friday afternoon.
“To the world he was an activist, actor, and football star,” she wrote. “To our family he was a loving and wonderful husband, father, and grandfather. Our hearts are broken.”
