Jim Brown Reconciles With Cleveland Browns, Rejoins Football Team He’d Boycotted

Jim Brown has reconciled with the Cleveland Browns. Before reconciling, Jim Brown had been boycotting the Browns football team.

Jim Brown is one of the all-time great running backs, honored as the Browns franchise’s leading rusher in the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame. Before retiring from the Browns, Jim Brown had rushed 12,312 yard in nine seasons. This NFL record stood until Emmitt Smith became the NFL’s all-time leading rusher with the Dallas Cowboys.

The Jim Brown boycott of the Cleveland Browns started when Jim Brown became at odds with former Browns team president Mike Holmgren, who removed Jim Brown from his post as an adviser to previous owner Randy Lerner. This alienated many Jim Brown fans.

But on March 20, Jim Brown reconciled with new owner Jimmy Haslam and the two worked out a plan for Brown to rejoin the franchise. This is what Haslam said about their plans:

“I think he feels good about it, and I think we feel good about it, and rightfully so. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know him, not just as a great football player but as a man.”

Jim Brown was considered a consultant the last time he was with the Browns. Haslam has said that Jim Brown’s official role will be made clear in the next two to three weeks:

“Jim Brown and I have spent a lot of time together. We spent about an hour together last night, and I think we’ve established a really good relationship, and I think sometime over the next two or three weeks we’ll formalize that relationship and Jim will play the appropriate role with the Cleveland Browns…. It’s a big deal, and that’s why I want to do it right. In the next couple of weeks we’ll announce something.”

What do you think about Jim Brown reconciling with the Cleveland Browns?