Jim Brown, the legendary NFL running back who quit the game at the height of his fame to concentrate on filmmaking and social activism, has died. He was 87.

Brown’s wife, Monique, confirmed the news on Instagram Friday afternoon:

Brown is widely considered the greatest player of his era if not the game’s history. He played just nine years in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns, but led the league in rushing eight times, earned All-Pro honors eight times and was named the league’s Most Valuable Player three times.

Brown led Cleveland to its most-recent NFL title in 1964, but retired following the 1965 season to concentrate on acting. He appeared in more than 30 films, including “The Dirty Dozen,” “The Running Man” and “Any Given Sunday.”

Brown was a unanimous All-American at Syracuse, finishing third behind Notre Dame’s Paul Hornung and Tennessee’s Johnny Majors in a Heisman Trophy race many believed years later he should have won. He was also regarded as among the greatest amateur players in the sport of lacrosse, which has its origins in the area of upstate New York he called home.

At 6-foot-2 and 230 pounds, Brown was the kind of large and bruising runner that was not common during his era. He retired with 12,312 yards and 106 touchdowns, and is one of the few running backs in NFL history to average more than five yards per carry.

Brown also was known for his activism with social causes, fighting for civil and player rights in the 1960s and later working to stop the spread of youth gang activity in the Black community. In 1967, he joined with other prominent Black athletes such as Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to show support for boxer Muhammad Ali, who had refused induction into the armed forces on the basis of his religious beliefs.

Brown also had a complex legacy off the field. He was arrested several times, more than once on charges of domestic violence.

Brown was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971 and was named to the NFL’s 50th, 75th and 100th anniversary teams. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995 and in 2020 was named to the sport’s 150th anniversary team.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.