Jim Brown: Hall of Famer and NFL veteran Jim Brown passes away at age 87.

Jim Brown, the legendary athlete-actor-activist who dominated the NFL and its record books in the 1950s and 1960s, won multiple MVP awards, and abruptly retired at age 30 to devote his time to the civil rights movement and a career in Hollywood, has passed away, according to his former team and his widow. He was 87.

Monique Brown posted a message on Instagram announcing the death of her husband, Jim Brown, with much grief. At our LA home, he died away peacefully the night before. He was a famous football player, actor, and campaigner throughout the globe. He was a devoted and excellent husband, father, and grandpa to our family. We’re broken in heart.

The Cleveland Browns, the only team Brown ever played for, tweeted: “Jim Brown Forever.

Legend, leader, activist, and visionary.

“There are no words to express the deep affection and appreciation we have for the chance to be a little part of Jim’s extraordinary life and legacy. We lament his loss but rejoice in the irreplaceable light he shed on the world.

Our thoughts are with Jim’s family, friends, and everyone else he touched along the road, the statement reads.

In 1971, Brown became a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Yardage isn’t the main concern. Being a champion with your team is… According to the Hall of Fame, webpage honoring Brown’s career, “Winning the championship is what I work for, and this requires a certain standard of performance.”

In 1964’s Western “Rio Conchos,” Brown made his cinematic debut before quitting the game.

When the reigning NFL MVP announced his retirement from football at the height of his career, shocking sports fans two years later, he was filming the World War II drama “The Dirty Dozen.” In the years that followed, he made appearances in more than 50 films and television shows, most recently in “Draft Day” in 2014.

“I could have continued playing. According to Sports Illustrated, he stated in 1966, “I wanted to play this year, but it was impossible. For one thing, the shooting is running behind schedule. The cerebral stimulation I would get from playing football is not enough for me. I have the chance to participate in the conflict going on in our nation right now because I want to. In one year, I might not.

He also stated that it was time to stop playing football. He said, “You ought to exit at the top.”

In addition, Brown became well-known for his work with prisoners and inner-city gang members as a civil rights activist.

Owners of the Cleveland Browns Dee and Jimmy Haslam remarked, “His dedication to creating a great influence for all of mankind off the pitch is what he should also be recognized for. “During the time we spent with Jim, particularly when we initially joined the Browns, we learned a great deal from him about the uniting force sports can be and how to utilize sport as a vehicle for change while having a positive influence on the community.

“Jim shattered tackles as easily as he did obstacles. He advocated for civil rights and gathered sportsmen from various sports to use their platforms for good. Although many believed Jim’s retirement from football was premature, he always did things his way.

However, Brown’s personal legal troubles also made headlines.

After rejecting the conditions of probation on a misdemeanor charge of vandalizing his wife’s car three years prior, Brown was sentenced to jail in 2002. He was given a sentence of six months in prison, of which he spent four, after refusing probation and therapy.

According to the Los Angeles Times, after being freed, Brown reportedly told reporters: “Incarceration doesn’t work. It doesn’t increase community safety.

In his nine seasons, Brown set a record for the most running yards in the NFL with 12,312 while also setting a record eight times.

He participated in nine Pro Bowls and won the NFL title in 1964. Brown carried for a league-high 1,544 yards in his last season.

“Jim Brown was a gifted athlete – one of the most dominant players to ever step foot on any athletic field – but also a cultural figure who helped promote change,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “Throughout his nine-year NFL career, which spanned the civil rights movement in our country, he established himself as a pioneer and inspiration for sportsmen who participate in social activities outside of their profession. He motivated other athletes to improve the world, especially their local communities.

With almost 70 goals scored in two seasons at Syracuse University and first- and second-team All-America honors, Brown is also regarded as one of the best lacrosse players in history.

He was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1983.