James Nathaniel "Jim" Brown (born February 17, 1936) is an American professional football player and actor. He is best known for his exceptional and record-setting career as a fullback for the NFL Cleveland Browns, for which he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Brown was an All-American at Syracuse University in both football and lacrosse; many who saw him play lacrosse still consider him the greatest player ever in that sport. The rule requiring lacrosse players to keep their sticks in motion when carrying the ball was implemented to slow Brown down.

He ended his career in 1966 with more yardage than any other rusher in NFL history and a single-season rushing yardage record (both records have since been surpassed several times). He still holds the career record for yards per carry, and is the only rusher in NFL history to average over 100 yards per game for a career. In 1964, Jim Brown won the Hickok Belt as top professional athlete of the year.

"He told me, Make sure when anyone tackles you he remembers how much it hurts. He lived by that philosophy and I always followed that advice." - John Mackey , 1999

The outspoken NFL Hall of Fame running back retired abruptly from football at the age of 29 to pursue a career as an actor. Brown starred in the 1970 movie ...tick...tick...tick..., as well as in numerous other features, such as The Dirty Dozen (1967).

Brown currently works with kids caught up in the gang scene in Los Angeles through the Amer-I-Can program, which he founded in 1988. It is a self-esteem-building organization that operates in inner cites and prisons.

External links

• Sporting News: Football's 100 Greatest Players http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/100/1.html page on Jim Brown (#1)
• Pro-Football-Reference.com http://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/BrowJi00.htm - career statistics