Jim Brown: A legacy worth remembering! By Hank Indictor
When I think of NFL Legends there are several that pop into mind when I think of the greatest. But in terms of my personal Mount Rushmore? Those are merely a select few that I truly put into GOAT territory. Sadly one of those members on that list just passed away a few days ago.
Sure there have been several fantastic running backs over the years such as Emmitt Smith, Barry Sanders, Tony Dorset and Walter Payton but Jim Brown tops them all! And it goes beyond simply what he did on the field. He not only set records in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns but he’s the greatest athlete ever to come out of Syracuse University.
In addition to his gridiron accomplishments, he also starred in both basketball and lacrosse during college where he set numerous records, and there is a statue and mural in his honor. But beyond his athletic accomplishments, Brown is also known to be one of the most prominent Civil Rights activists as well as a Hollywood legend. Unfortunately, it also should be noted that Jim Brown was involved in several off-the-field controversies that cloud his reputation despite everything that he has accomplished.
Nevertheless, he was still a one-of-a-kind figure in the world of sports and one which we will never see again!
Just how great of an athlete was Jim Brown during his time at Syracuse? He earned 10 Varsity letters in four different sports: track and field, lacrosse, basketball and, of course, football! Brown only played basketball during his Sophomore and Junior year and during those years he averaged 13.1 points per game. In his most memorable performance, he scored 33 points in a game against Sampson Air Force Base, a game that he didn’t even start!
His strength and speed also enabled him to be a particularly strong rebounder and defender as well. Which begs the question, why didn’t he play his senior year? Well unfortunately these were the times of racial segregation and due to an unwritten rule in which college basketball teams were not permitted to start three Black players, Brown was the one who chose to give up his starting role and the sport altogether.
However despite this shameful rule, Brown seemed to be more content with lacrosse and football anyways but many of his teammates believe that had he stayed Syracuse would’ve won the National Title (they lost in the Elite Eight), and given his athletic prowess it’s hard to disagree with that notion. I’m his senior season with a lacrosse program that has historically been excellent even years after Brown’s graduation, he not only led his team to an undefeated season but in those 10 games scored a whopping 43 goals! He was so dominant in the sport that they changed the rules to where a player had to constantly keep his stick in no room while carrying the ball!
Suffice it to say, Brown is considered to be the greatest player in the history of lacrosse. However, as we all know, it is football where he is best known! His signature performance was a lopsided 61-7 win against Colgate in 1956 where he ran for 196 yards, scored six touchdowns and kicked seven extra points for a total of 43 points. This was an NCAA record that lasted for 40 years! In his senior season, he rushed for 986 yards and scored 14 TDs in leading the Orangemen to the Cotton Bowl against TCU. It’s not too often I feel that MVP performances are well deserved for a losing effort and this game was one of the rare exceptions. Despite the 28-27 loss, Brown scored three TDs while rushing for 132 yards and kicking three extra points. It should be noted that a blocked kick was the difference in this game. Without a doubt, Jim Brown was the greatest college athlete to never win the Heisman Trophy and the fact that he only finished in fifth place in 1956 says a lot more about the racial attitude of the voters at that time than it does about Brown himself. Neither of the two running backs who finished ahead of Brown in the voting (both of whom were white) didn’t even come within 100 rushing yards of his total. And the winner, Paul Hornung of Notre Dame, (at the time a QB but one who would go on to be one of Vince Lombardi’s stars for Green Bay’s dynasty) only threw for three TDs and 13 interceptions for a team that finished 2-8!
What should also be noted is that, unlike Notre Dame, Syracuse didn’t play as many nationally televised games and there have been plenty of other instances where the Fighting Irish seem to get favorable treatment; however, that's a story for another day. Many years later Jim Brown would go on to be voted the greatest player in college football history and it could be argued that Brown’s biggest contribution to the program may have been recruiting Ernie Davis, who would go on to be the first Black player to win the Heisman five years after Brown was snubbed. Brown would go on to be drafted by the Cleveland Browns at No. 5 overall and as for his NFL career? Well, you could argue that was just as legendary!
The question is not how good was Jim Brown in the NFL, but where does he rank in terms of running backs? In my honest opinion, he’s the GOAT! As far as the greatest player in NFL history? That’s a debate for another day, but he’s up there with TB12, Jerry Rice and LT on that Mt. Rushmore for sure. And why do I consider him the greatest RB of all time? In his “worst season” (his rookie season) he still led the league with 942 yards and nearly led the Browns to a title while winning Rookie of the Year and MVP! The 1962 season was the only one he didn’t lead the league in rushing yards, and even then he still scored 13 TDs that season! In his nine seasons, he averaged 1,368 yards and 12 TDs. Imagine having him on your fantasy roster if such a thing existed in the ’50s and ’60s. He would also go on to win three MVPs and earn a Pro Bowl…..NINE TIMES!!!!!! He also was a member of the last Cleveland Browns team to win a Championship in 1964.
At the time of his retirement, he was the all-time leader in rushing yards with 12,312 (surpassed only by Walter Payton and Emmitt Smith). However, what will certainly never be broken is his YPG average of 122 and YPC average of 5.2! But as I often say numbers are great but they don’t tell the whole story. Not only was he incredibly fast but because he was so big he was extremely difficult to tackle. In other words, he wasn’t a guy who could be stopped, only contained!
Now the question can be asked: why did Brown retire before the age of 30? The answer is simple: he wanted to focus on his acting career. Browns owner Art Modell threatened to fine him for every day he missed practice while filming scenes for The Dirty Dozen, and knowing he could make more money in Hollywood as opposed to less with the risk of a potentially career-threatening injury, Brown chose to retire on top, something you rarely see in any sport! Let’s just say there’s a reason Brown is still widely viewed as a legend whereas Modell is one of the biggest villains in NFL history (though for the latter, it’s more for his treasonous acts that occurred 30 years later.) However, Brown’s legacy goes beyond his athletic accomplishments, and while his legacy is truly larger than life, unfortunately, his controversies put a cloud on his reputation.
Upon leaving the NFL, Jim Brown would go on to become a legend in the movie-making industry as well starring in such films as The Dirty Dozen, 100 Rifles, Fireball, Mars Attacks, He’s Got Game and Any Given Sunday. Even as he was still playing Brown was also known for his role in being a Civil Rights activist and he is considered one of the first athletes to speak out and use his fame to fight for racial equality. In 1967 he organized the Cleveland Summit, which was a meeting that showed support for Muhammad Ali and his refusal to serve in Vietnam. This was notable because it was one of the first instances where athletes gathered in trying to take a political stand and it set a standard for many other athletes who used their fame as a platform to protest.
However, for all that Jim Brown accomplished, we also must take into account that he had a dark and controversial legal past. Several times he was arrested for domestic violence in addition to having a rape allegation in 1985 and although Brown had a lot of his charges dropped and never received a major sentencing (the worst he served was three months in jail in the early 2000s for refusing a court-ordered community service and counseling) the main reason for this is because the women he allegedly abused either never pressed charges or failed to cooperate while Brown was investigated. Still, the fact that he had several allegations raised a lot of questions about his character and we’ll never know the full reasons for why he was never fully prosecuted.
Therefore while it is easy to look at Jim Brown as a phenomenal athlete and a larger-than-life figure, we need to remember that even with his celebrity status this is a man who had serious flaws in his character!