An unstoppable runner with power, speed and endurance, Brown’s arrival sparked the game’s burgeoning popularity on television. As Black Americans fought for equality, Brown used his platform and voice to advance their cause.
One of the greatest players in NFL history, Brown, who retired at the peak of his playing career to pursue acting and remained in the public spotlight as an activist and due to off-field transgressions that included allegations of violence against women has died. He was 87.
One of the greatest players in football history and one of the game’s first superstars, Brown shattered the league’s record books in a short career spanning 1957-65.