The kids of my generation knew Jim Brown was the toughest creature to ever wear a football uniform, playing running back from 1957-1965 for the Cleveland Browns.
On tiny screens of black and white, in rain, sleet and snow, Brown was the hardest thing to bring down in the old NFL.(Years later, perhaps Earl Campbell came close.)
In my family, I was the "go-to" guy to gently turn the fine tuning knob to remove snow from the screen or to move the rabbit ears to stop the screen from rolling.
I remember being shocked when Brown retired at age 30 to go into acting, but that was the smart thing to do.
Professional football takes a horrible toll on the human body. It's so much better to get out while young than to live the rest of your life with damaged knees, back and feet.
Brown's legacy includes more than football, though, as the man became a pillar in the field of civil rights, along with the universally respected Bill Russell, Muhammad Ali and others.
Brown passed away yesterday at age 87.
The best football player to ever grace a field!
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