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| Jim Brown |
There are two lives that athletes live; one is the double life of being a professional athlete while being a citizen in the community, and the other is life after their professional career. Jim Brown, arguably the greatest NFL running back of all-time, is a prime example of this truth.
Brown began the first phase of duality by competing in multiple sports at Syracuse University and evolving into a phenomenal NFL running back. As a stellar athlete Brown also has a conscious for African American rights and issues within the Black community to help improve the lifestyles of youths.
Even though Brown dominates on the field and in the community, the control factor in his relationships with women leads to his irresponsible encounters with the law. Many professional athletes deal with the pressures of performing on the field/court and managing their personal lives, so it is imperative to analyze the cycle of their paths from many angles because athletes also make mistakes in life.
Jim Brown comes to national fame as a great athlete at Syracuse University as he letters in football, basketball, baseball, and lacrosse. Integrating a White university is a tough task to deal with during the 1950’s, so by being an athlete it allows for Brown to make an easier transition during this epoch. Named as a second-team and first-team all-American during his junior and senior years at Syracuse, Brown’s success leads him to the NFL in 1957 where he becomes one of the greatest running backs ever.
At 6-foot-2 and weighing 230 pounds, Brown punishes defenders on the field. In his nine-year career he becomes the all-time leading rusher with 12,312 yards, the career rushing leader in touchdowns with 106, and he is the only rusher in NFL history to average 100 rushing yards per game. Being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971 as the greatest player in the Cleveland Browns history places a seal on Brown’s accomplishments during his “first” life.
The closing to Brown’s professional career comes in 1965 as his decision causes controversy amongst the NFL. Brown decides to retire at the age of 29 to embrace his acting career in Hollywood. Many speculate that Brown is senseless for this choice in deciding to walk away from the game in the prime of his career.
Brown’s aware that football takes a toll on one’s body, but that is half of Brown’s consciousness that he lives with. The other aspect is his mindfulness for the youths in the urban communities across America. In the cities of Los Angeles, CA and Cleveland, OH, Brown has established the Amer-I-Can program in order to help inner city youths escape gang activities and criminal lifestyles. Amer-I-Can is a life skills program that operates in Black communities and in prisons.
Although Brown makes a huge impact on the field and in the community, he still has to deal with personal circumstances that are not appropriate.
