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The NFL lost one of its legendary figures in May of last year with the passing of former Cleveland Browns star Jim Brown at 87. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in football history, Brown was equally known for his civil rights activism and community work.
While the Browns have already retired his iconic No. 32 jersey and erected a statue of him outside Huntington Bank Field, former Browns and New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick has gone a step further by advocating for the number to be retired across the entire NFL.
While appearing on the Let’s Go! podcast on SiriusXM, Belichick shared his thoughts with NBA Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, expressing that the NFL should follow Major League Baseball’s example of retiring Jackie Robinson’s No. 42 by doing the same with Brown’s No. 32, via NBC Sports:
“I was having a conversation the other day talking about Jim Brown and I think it’d be a great move for the NFL to retire his number, like baseball did with Jackie [Robinson],” Belichick said.
“I try to teach our players that all the time, every chance I get, the history of the game, the history of your position, the history of the players that came before you and that paved the way,” Belichick continued. “You know, the game just didn’t get great when you walked on the field, and sometimes they need to be reminded of that.
When I brought Jim Brown back to Cleveland the first time in ‘92, well ‘91 then he came back in ‘92. And, honestly, the rookies that he talked to didn’t really know who Jim was. I never made that mistake again.”
Belichick went on to explain that he made it a point to ensure rookie players understood Jim Brown’s achievements, both on and off the field, knowing that it would leave a lasting impression on them.
“I made sure that, before I introduced him, they got a good look at him on the field and off the field and the things that he did not only for the game,” he said. “So when I have an opportunity to talk to a team, people are gonna learn the history of the game whether they want to or not.”
The National Hockey League retired Wayne Gretzky's iconic No. 99 following his retirement in 1999. Similarly, in 2022, the NBA announced that Bill Russell's No. 6 would be retired league-wide, though players already wearing the number were permitted to continue doing so.
Jim Brown is regarded as one of the all-time greats
Jim Brown was selected by the Browns in the first round of the 1957 NFL Draft and spent his entire nine-year career with the team. A three-time NFL MVP, he amassed an impressive 12,312 rushing yards, averaging 5.2 yards per carry, and led the Browns to a league championship in 1964.
He was also known for supporting the Civil Rights movement in the late 1960s, along with his work to curb inner-city violence after retiring from the NFL at the age of 30.
