25 of 25

Robert Riger/Getty Images

Brown is arguably the greatest athlete in pro football history—hell, he's one of the best in American history—as we discussed in an early installment of NFL Nostalgia.

He is one of the most important and influential individuals in football history: popular, polarizing at times, iconic across generations.

Brown's status as the greatest running back of all time is rarely questioned. His 104.3-rushing-yards-per-game average, eight rushing crowns and other feats left an indelible mark on the football landscape and our expectations for the running back position.

There is one question left to ask: Was Brown the greatest player ever?

Many considered Brown the GOAT from his retirement in the mid-1960s through the 1980s, though we didn't say "GOAT" back then. Several challengers have since staked their claim, most notably Jerry Rice and quarterbacks from Joe Montana through Tom Brady, with stops at Brett Favre and Peyton Manning along the way.

Brown is no longer a popular choice as the greatest player of all time because: a) Brady holds up a new Lombardi Trophy every other year; b) Brown played long ago in a very different NFL; and c) running backs are not as valuable—or at least as valued—as they were in the pre-Super Bowl era.

Brady's championships are hard to argue against, though the whole champ-or-chump approach to sports discourse is also a recent and unfortunate phenomenon. Brown did retire before many of us were born, but he isn't Red Grange. His stats are comprehensibly awesome, and footage of him is ample and recognizable as outstanding, overpowering running back play.

As for the position he played: Running backs were just as important as quarterbacks, perhaps more important, for much of football history. Brown had as much impact on his teams as any quarterback, and his teams won a championship and a heck of a lot of games.

Who you consider the greatest of all time is a matter of your personal taste. But as NFL Nostalgia draws to a close, remember that Jim Brown was football's Babe Ruth, the individual who forced the entire league to level up and get bigger, faster, stronger and smarter. Brady and other GOAT candidates may still be in the conversation after a half-century, through changes in attitudes and strategy which we can not yet anticipate. But Brown has already stood that test of time.