NFL pioneer Jim Brown died at the age of 87 in his Los Angeles home Thursday night. The former Browns running back “passed peacefully,” according to his wife, Monique Brown.

Considered the greatest running back in league history, Brown spent his entire nine-year career in Cleveland, picking up MVP awards, Pro Bowl selections and the team’s lone championship in 1964.

Over the decades, Sports Illustrated has captured Brown’s career and impact—his playing days, acting and activism, and controversial personal life. Below is some of the best from the pages of SI.

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• “How I Play Fullback” by Jim Brown, Sep. 26, 1960: The Browns star explains how his college playing days at Syracuse prepared him for the pros.
• “The Game Needs More Heroes, More Gladiators” by Jill Lieber, Dec. 12, 1983: Why, at 47, does the legendary running back even think about a comeback?
• “How We Got Here, Chapter 4: The Long, Hard Run” by Steve Rushin, Aug. 16, 1994: Brown was one of four men who helped transform sports from 1945 to ’94.
• “Prisoner of Conscience” Q&A by Don Yaeger, April 15, 2002: In a jailhouse interview, Brown sounds off about life behind bars, the NFL and do-nothing sports stars.
• “Why Jim Brown Matters” by Tim Layden, Oct. 6, 2015: Fifty years after walking away from the game at his peak, he still towers over the NFL.

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SI Covers

Sep. 26, 1960

Dec. 12, 1983

Aug. 30, 1999

Return of the Browns: Special Commemorative Issue