CINCINNATI — When former WCPO 9 Sports Director John Popovich heard about Jim Brown's death Friday afternoon, his mind went toward a photo he has of the Pro Football Hall of Famer.
For Popovich, who grew up watching the Cleveland Browns in the 1960s, the photo represents a clear moment in time. Shortly after they defeated the Bengals 26-10 on Dec. 17, 1995, the Browns franchise moved to Baltimore to eventually become the Ravens.
Brown's presence at the final Browns game was significant. The present-day Cleveland Browns franchise started in 1999.
"I met him in the final game when the Bengals played the Browns at Cleveland (Municipal) Stadium in the 90s," Popovich said. "He was on the sidelines. I think he felt very sad. He was just standing there, looking around, kind of taking it all in. And I said, 'This is sad, isn't it?' And he said, 'You bet it is.' That was the extent of our conversation. A lot of people wanted to come up and talk to him that day."
Brown, a three-time MVP and eight-time All-Pro, died Thursday night at the age of 87. A prominent civil rights advocate, he was one of football's first superstars in a career that spanned from 1957 to 1965.
"He was the greatest one I ever saw play," Popovich said. "Again, I make the point that he hasn't carried the ball in 60 years but he is still the standard for running backs in the NFL."
Brown led Cleveland to its most recent football championship in 1964. He played for the late Paul Brown from 1957 to 1962 in Cleveland.
"We only got to see football every now and then on TV back in the 60s," Popovich said. "And I can probably remember his games starting at around '61, '62. The Browns were named after Paul Brown but they could've been named after Jim Brown as far as I was concerned."
Bengals owner Mike Brown, the son of the late Paul Brown, told Bengals.com that he met Jim Brown in a Dartmouth College bookstore in 1957. Mike Brown was preparing to watch Jim Brown play lacrosse for Syracuse University that day. Jim Brown was selected No. 6 in the NFL Draft that year.
"He was better at lacrosse than he was at football," Mike Brown told Bengals.com reporter Geoff Hobson. "He was super at lacrosse. He would just run down the field and Pffft. Throw it in the net. We couldn't run with him and if somebody tried to be physical it was an unequal contest. Jim would just go through him or around him."
Mike Brown, 87, told Bengals.com he always respected Jim Brown as a player with a special talent. Mike Brown considered him a friend.
"The best runner I ever saw," Mike Brown said. "He was an extraordinary athlete. He was a big man. But very fast. He was 228 (pounds), 232 maybe later on. But sculpted. The thing people just don't give him credit for is how fast he was."
Popovich said Jim Brown could do it all on the field. Although Jim Brown retired at age 30, his impact was felt for decades.
Brown's legacy, Popovich said, includes flaws in his life but also significant efforts as a prominent civil rights advocate.
"He talked about green power," Popovich said. "He says, 'We need green power, we need more money in the Black community in order to empower people. That's when I was first hearing those words in the late 60s, early 70s, that sort of thing. He was a guy along with Muhammad Ali, along with Hank Aaron along with Bill Russell — those guys were ahead of their time. They weren't just athletes. They were civil rights advocates as well."
