James "Jim" Brown, born February 17, 1936 in St. Simons, Georgia, was a record-setting football player, an action movie star, and a civil rights activist.
He played football while at Syracuse University from 1954-1956 and earned unanimous All-American honors, and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995.
In the 1957 NFL draft, he was the sixth pick of the first round, by the Cleveland Browns. He played for the Browns from 1957 to 1965. During his career, he carried the ball 2,359 times, for 12.312 rushing yards, and 106 touchdowns, which were all records when he retired. He is the only NFL player to average over 100 rushing yards per game for his career. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.
He became an actor shortly before he ended his career, and starred in leading roles throughout the 1970s. He has been described as Hollywood's first black action hero. In the 1969 film, 100 Rifles, he made history for featuring the first interracial love scenes with Raquel Welch. He won an Image Awards (NAACP) for Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture for his work in El Condor. I liked him in Ice Station Zebra, although the critics panned the movie.
During the civil rights movement, he was one of the few athletes to speak out on racial issues. He launched a foundation for diverting at-risk youth from violence, teaching them life skills.
He passed away from natural causes at 87 in May 2023.
