GOAT Index

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Jim Brown: the case for the GOAT

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    Jim Brown: the case for the GOAT

    RB · Browns · Born 17 February 1936, St. Simons Island, Georgia, USA · Died 2023 · Career 1957–1965

    Fullback who spent his entire nine-season career with the Cleveland Browns, then retired at his peak to pursue acting and civil rights work.

    Career highlights

    Why Jim Brown could be the GOAT

    Brown led the league in rushing in eight of his nine seasons and walked away at 29 after a league-leading year. He averaged over 100 rushing yards a game in an era of 12- and 14-game seasons. For pure dominance over his contemporaries, few players in any sport compare.

    What fans say

    Jim Brown is #28 of 30 in the fan ranking, with a 0–2 head-to-head record from 76 NFL votes. See the full NFL GOAT ranking

    Jim Brown head to head

    How the ranking works. Every head-to-head vote is a result, like a game. The standings use a Bradley–Terry model, the same idea behind chess ratings: beating a highly rated legend counts for more than beating a long shot. Ratings are shown on a chess-style scale centred on 1500.

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      Photos come from Wikimedia Commons under the licenses listed. Each links to its source page.