From a Washington Post obit by Kent Babb and Matt Schudel headlined “Jim Brown, Hall of Fame running back and actor, dies at 87”:

Jim Brown, who was often called the greatest football player of his time but who gave up the sport at the peak of his career in the 1960s, declaring himself a “highly paid, over-glamorized gladiator,” and turned instead to acting and activism, died in Los Angeles.

Mr. Brown was one of the most gifted all-around athletes of the past century. He excelled in lacrosse, basketball, and track and field and was virtually unstoppable during his nine years as a powerhouse fullback with the Cleveland Browns in the 1950s and ’60s.