His rushing record, notably 12,312 yards on the ground, was eventually broken by Peyton, Barry Sanders and Emmitt Smith. But Brown’s career lasted only nine years, and at a time when chop blocks and other dangerous tackles were allowed, he played mostly 14-game seasons, not 16- or 17-game seasons.his 104.3 rushing yards per game The average is still a league record.
He then left the scene, choosing to pursue a career making movies in Hollywood and making more money than Cleveland. His breaking point came while filming The Dirty Dozen. Brown told team owner Art Modell that he would be late for training camp. Model told Brown that he would fine him for each day he missed camp. Angered by this, Brown held a press conference to announce his retirement from the NFL.
By that point, Brown had accomplished more in football than many players in a long career, winning the league in 1964, winning three MVP awards, and owning an NFL career rush record. However, only a handful of them managed to make it to the top. John Elway and Peyton Manning won Super Bowls in their final seasons, but neither were in their prime. Sanders retired from the Detroit Lions at age 30 with just one playoff win.
Brown, on the other hand, is a sort of Mount Rushmore who helped redefine the power of athletes on and off the field by demanding that owners and coaches treat their players, especially black players, with respect. He was a tall running back.
“It could be argued that Wilt Chamberlain was a force of his own in basketball, but Jim Brown would have been the first professional football player to have such a presence and influence in modern times,” said America. says Michael McCambridge, author of The Game: An epic story of how professional football captivated the nation. “It was clear that Jim Brown was a player from a different generation with a different mindset.”
Players after him knew the difference.
“There’s no man who’s played a running back in the NFL who didn’t think of Jim Brown as an iconic legend on and off the field,” said one of the 10 running backs who surpassed Brown’s total rushing yards. One, Tony Dorsett, said: wrote on twitter.
‘You can’t underestimate the impact #JimBrown has had on @NFL,’ says Sanders also wrote on twitter.
Though exceptional on the field, Brown was far from perfect. He has been arrested more than six times, including on multiple charges of violence against women. He was never convicted of any serious crime.