Discover the Gridiron Legend: Top 10 Fun Facts About Jim Brown You Never Knew!

1. From Gridiron to Hollywood

Before Mars Attacks! could conquer Earth and quirky gazelle friendships had their moment on the silver screen, one gridiron juggernaut decided to try his acting chops: Jim Brown appeared in various films such as "The Dirty Dozen" and "Mars Attacks!" and even starred alongside Burt Reynolds and Raquel Welch in the 1969 western "100 Rifles," debunking the popular misconception of his character's unusual wildlife bond.
Source => theguardian.com

2. Cleat-tastic Movie Star

Before Mr. Brown brought his cleats to Hollywood, he kept the football field cleat-tastic: Jim Brown dominated the gridiron for the Cleveland Browns, setting numerous records as a running back extraordinaire before swapping pigskins for silver screens, starring in over 30 films like "The Dirty Dozen" and "Mars Attacks!", and even winning a Golden Globe for his documentary "Jim Brown: All American."
Source => imdb.com

Did you know Jim Thorpe's remains were once part of a morbid auction involving various American towns? Discover the bizarre story behind the athlete's final resting place, and how it's still undecided to this day!

=> Fun Facts about Jim-Thorpe

3. Mentor Turned Superhero

Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks, or in this case, new "Rockheads": Jim Brown's Amer-I-Can program, founded in 1988, has transformed the lives of individuals like Rudolph "Rockhead" Johnson, a former gang member turned real-life superhero. Through Brown's mentorship and life skills training, Johnson now slam dunks positivity into young lives by teaching basketball to children in need.
Source => eisneramper.com

4. Brown's Groundbreaking Role

Before blazing trails on the football field, Jim Brown was busy upholding the law in the Deep South – well, at least on the big screen: In the 1970 MGM film "...Tick...Tick...Tick," Brown took on the groundbreaking role of the first black sheriff of Colusa County, Mississippi, tackling racial tensions and facing a whole new set of challenges in a predominantly white southern town.
Source => tcm.com

5. Tackling Discrimination

Not your average Hail Mary: Jim Brown was a unique gridiron gladiator who tackled discrimination off the field, founding Amer-I-Can, a nonprofit where the playbook focused on empowering the disadvantaged through education and life skills training. Also, he ran interference during the civil rights movement of the 1960s, making him a legendary humanitarian.
Source => laxallstars.com

6. Western Debut & Stunts

Before donning tassels and a cowboy hat, Jim Brown was busy bulldozing through defensive lines like they were saloons packed with rowdy patrons: Brown made his cinematic debut in the 1964 Western "Rio Conchos," portraying Sergeant Franklyn while flexing his athletic prowess, performing his own stunts alongside co-stars Richard Boone, Stuart Whitman, Anthony Franciosa, and Edmond O'Brien.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. Blaxploitation Water Heroes

If ever there were a Kung Fu water-filtration system, it would be thanks to these guys: In the 1974 blaxploitation film "Three the Hard Way," Jim Brown, Jim Kelly, and Fred Williamson join forces as martial arts experts who must foil an insidious white supremacist plot to poison the U.S. water supply with a toxin designed to only harm black people – evidently a water safety advertisement gone wild!
Source => imdb.com

8. Master of All Trades

If you ever feel like a jack of all trades but master of none, take a page from Jim Brown's playbook: This sports hero not only crushed it on the gridiron and lacrosse field, but also delivered blockbuster performances in over 50 movies and TV shows, trailblazing into stardom as Hollywood's first Black action icon.
Source => cottonbowl.com

9. Touchdown Records Galore

When he wasn't busy signing autographs as the unofficial mayor of Touchdown Town, Jim Brown was making a name for himself as the NFL's ultimate end-zone crasher: He holds the record for the most games with at least four rushing touchdowns (6) and the most games with at least three rushing touchdowns (14) in NFL history.
Source => profootballhof.com

10. Hollywood Two-Step

Though Jim Brown might have put his "Hollywood Two-Step" to good use on the professional football field, he exchanged pigskin for popcorn when it came to clapperboards and Box Office gold: Starting with his debut in Rio Conchos (1964), Brown had an impressive acting career including roles in The Dirty Dozen (1967) and The Running Man (1987), even providing commentary for the first six events of the Ultimate Fighting Championships from 1993 to 1996 while also taking time to dabble in the "blaxploitation" film genre with movies like Slaughter (1972) and Black Gunn (1972).
Source => imdb.com