Jim Brown in NFL History
Jim Brown (1936–), a Cleveland Browns running back from 1957 to 1965, is one of the greatest players in the history of the National Football League.
During his nine-year career, Brown punished opposing defenses with his unique combination of speed and power, never missing a game due to injury while becoming the first player in NFL history to rush for 10,000 yards and 100 touchdowns. Brown was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.
In 1966, Jim Brown retired unexpectedly from football at the relatively young age of 29 to pursue a full-time career as a Hollywood film actor. At the time of his retirement, Brown held the NFL's all-time records in career rushing yards, single-season rushing yards, career all-purpose yards, and career touchdowns. While most of Brown's records were later broken, he remains the only running back in NFL history to average more than 100 yards a game over the full course of his career.
Since leaving football, Brown has appeared in dozens of movies and television shows and become a civil-rights spokesman and anti-gang violence activist.