BY LARRY CANALE larrycanale@comcast.net
Pro football in the 1950s and ’60s was a different game than today. The past few decades have brought rules changes, expansion, a far more explosive passing game, and scheduling differences (the current 17-game season vs. 12 and then 14 in the 1950s and ’60s). As a result, the statistics we see now vs. those in Jim Brown’s era are an apples-and-oranges situation.
To wit: Brown was the NFL’s all-time rushing leader when he retired in 1965. Today, he’s not even in the top 10. His total of 12,312 rushing yards has been surpassed by Emmitt Smith, Walter Payton and even Frank Gore, along with seven others.
But make no mistake: Jim Brown is the NFL’s all-time best running back and maybe its best all-around player. He was more dominant in his era than anyone.
