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Jim Brown, the legendary football player, sports analyst, actor and civil rights activist, has died at the age of 87.

A spokesperson said he died peacefully at his Los Angeles home Thursday with his loving wife, Monique, by his side.

James Nathaniel Brown was born on February 17, 1936.

He played as a fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1957 through 1965 and considered to be one of the greatest running backs of all time, as well as one of the greatest players in NFL history.

Brown was a Pro Bowl invitee every season he was in the league, and was recognized as the AP NFL Most Valuable Player three times, and won an NFL championship with the Browns in 1964. He led the league in rushing yards in eight out of his nine seasons, and by the time he retired, he held most major rushing records. In 2002, he was named by The Sporting News as the greatest professional football player ever.

Brown earned unanimous All-American honors playing college football at Syracuse University, where he was an all-around player for the Syracuse Orangemen football team. The team later retired his number 44 jersey, and he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995. He is also widely considered one of the greatest lacrosse players of all time, and the Premier Lacrosse League MVP Award is named in his honor. Brown also excelled in basketball and track and field.

In his professional career, Brown carried the ball 2,359 times for 12,312 rushing yards and 106 touchdowns, which were all records when he retired. He averaged 104.3 rushing yards per game, and is the only player in NFL history to average over 100 rushing yards per game for his career. His 5.2 yards per rush is third-best among running backs, behind Marion Motley and Jamaal Charles.

Brown was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971. He was named to the NFL’s 50th, 75th, and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams, comprising the best players in NFL history. Brown was honored at the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship as the greatest college football player of all time. His number 32 jersey is retired by the Browns. Shortly before the end of his football career, Brown became an actor, and had several leading roles throughout the 1970s.