Jim Brown earned unanimous All-America honors playing college football at Syracuse University where he was an all-around player for the Syracuse Orangemen football team. He also excelled in basketball, track and field, and lacrosse. The football team later retired his number 44 jersey. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995.
He was a fullback for the Cleveland Browns from 1957 through 1965. Considered to be one of the greatest football players of all time, Brown was a Pro Bowl invitee every season he was in the league, was recognized as the AP NFL Most Valuable Player three times, and won an NFL Championship with the Browns in 1964. He led the league in rushing yards in eight out of his nine seasons, and by the time he retired he had shattered most major rushing records. In 2002, he was named by The Sporting News as the greatest professional football player ever.
