never hold his words back when he wanted to say something. He did that exact thing when he walked away from the game while in his prime.
During the summer of 1966, Brown stunned the sporting world with his abrupt retirement while he filmed “The Dirty Dozen” – the classic movie that launched a successful acting career that spanned decades and included more than 50 film and TV roles.
“I could have played longer,” Brown told Sports Illustrated a day after announcing his retirement. “I wanted to play this year, but it was impossible. We’re running behind schedule shooting here, for one thing. I want more mental stimulation than I would have playing football. I want to have a hand in the struggle that is taking place in our country, and I have the opportunity to do that now. I might not a year from now.”
In the biography, “Jim Brown: The fierce life of an American hero,” author Mike Freeman (a current USA TODAY Sports columnist), called Brown “the first Black action star.” In the 1969 movie, “100 Rifles,” Brown appeared with Raquel Welch in Hollywood’s first interracial love scene.