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Social media reacts to death of Cleveland Browns legend, NFL Hall of Fame RB Jim Brown

Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal
·11 min read
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Jim Brown at the unveiling of a statue honoring the Browns' running back on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016, in Cleveland.
Jim Brown at the unveiling of a statue honoring the Browns' running back on Sunday, Sept. 18, 2016, in Cleveland.

One of the greatest athletes not just in Cleveland Browns history but all of sports died on Thursday night.

Legendary Browns running back Jim Brown died at the age of 87 in his Los Angeles home. His wife Monique was by his side at the time of his death.

Brown's football accomplishments are many and well-known. Arguably the most dominant player of his generation — and maybe the greatest football player ever — he remains the Browns' all-time rushing leader, a three-time NFL MVP, a Pro Football Hall of Famer and, as of this past February, the namesake to the award the NFL gives to the league's leading rusher annually.

However, Brown was more that just a football player. He was a social justice activist who was a prominent figure in the 1960s Civil Rights movement — including his participation in the 1967 Cleveland Summit — and went on to form the Amer-I-Can Program to assist gang members and at-risk youths meet their academic potential, conform their behavior to acceptable societal standards, and improve the quality of their lives.

Brown was also a A-list Hollywood celebrity as an actor. He famously starred in movies such as “The Dirty Dozen (1967),” “Ice Station Zebra (1968),” “100 Rifles (1969),” “Three The Hard Way (1974), “The Running Man (1987),” “I'm Gonna Git You Sucka (1988),” “Mars Attacks! (1996)” and “Any Given Sunday (1999).”

Brown's death has led to an outpouring of reactions across social media. Below is a sampling of many of those reactions.

Tributes from the Cleveland Browns organization, past and present

Tributes from the NFL and NFLPA

Tributes from the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Tributes from other NFL teams

Tributes from other legendary NFL running backs

Tribute from a former President of the United States

Tributes from other Cleveland/Northeast Ohio sports teams

Tributes from both inside and outside of the NFL

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Social media reacts to death of Cleveland Browns legend, Jim Brown