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Former Syracuse running back Jim Brown died Thursday. He was 87.

Brown helped usher in the legendary No. 44 along with Floyd Little and Ernie Davis at Syracuse when he played from 1954-56 with the Orange. Dubbed as “The Greatest of All Time,” he finished his three years with the Orange totaling 2,091 yards and 24 touchdowns, earning the first unanimous All-American in SU team history as a senior. His 123.3 rushing yards per game and 13 touchdowns in 1956 helped him finish fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting and lifted Syracuse to the Cotton Bowl.

His wife, Monique, said on Instagram that he died at their home in Los Angeles.

After he graduated from SU, he was drafted No. 6 overall in the 1957 NFL Draft to the Cleveland Browns, where he went on to have a Hall of Fame career in nine seasons with Cleveland. Both Brown’s No. 44 with Syracuse and No. 32 with the Browns were retired from the respective organizations. In 2015, Syracuse unveiled a statue of Brown along with Little and Davis next to the Ensley Athletic Center. 

Following his career at Syracuse, Brown was accused of assault, all of which were against women, on multiple occasions. The three charges between the 60s and 80s were all eventually dropped.

Following his retirement from the NFL in 1966 — citing a need for a more mentally stimulating activity than playing football — Brown began a career in acting and is credited in 54 different roles between 1964 and 2019. He also delved into philanthropy, founding the Negro Industrial and Economic Union, now the Black Economic Union, one year after his retirement with the goal of guiding Black entrepreneurs. Brown also participated in the Cleveland Summit along with other prominent athletes to decide whether or not to support Muhammad Ali’s stand against being drafted into the U.S. Military during the Vietnam War.

Jim Brown is known as one of the best running backs of all time and is enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame Daily Orange File Photo

In 1988, he founded Amer-I-Can, an organization that helps at-risk teenagers meet their academic potential to improve their quality of life. The NFL recently renamed its rushing title as “The Jim Brown Award” in honor of the former Syracuse running back.

Published on May 19, 2023 at 4:13 pm

Contact Anthony: aalandt@syr.edu | @anthonyalandt