NFL icon and civil rights activist Jim Brown passes away

US football Hall of Famer, Hollywood actor and Civil Rights activist Jim Brown died on Thursday at the age of 87 at his home in Los Angeles.

A family spokesperson on Friday said Brown's passing had been peaceful and his wife Monique had been by his side.

"To the world, he was an activist, actor, and football star," Monique Brown said in an Instagram post. "To our family, he was a loving husband, father, and grandfather. Our hearts are broken."

One of the NFL's greats

Brown is considered one of American football's greatest players and was named Most Valuable Player in 1965. He retired at the peak of his career after leading the Cleveland Browns to win the NFL Championship in 1964.

"Jim Brown is a true icon of not just the Cleveland Browns but the entire NFL," said Browns owners Dee and Jimmy Haslam. "He was certainly the greatest to ever put on a Browns uniform and arguably one of the greatest players in NFL history."

Brown would then go on to become a successful Hollywood actor and appeared in more than 30 films including Oliver Stone's "Any Given Sunday" and World War II epic "The Dirty Dozen."

Brown used his profile to amplify the voices of Black Americans in the fight for equality.

In 1967, Brown joined activist athletes in supporting Muhammad Ali's refusal to be drafted into the U.S. military.

Later years would see Brown working to help curb gang violence in LA with the founding of Amer-I-Can, a program to help disadvantaged inner-city youth and ex-convicts.

LeBron, Obama lead tributes

"We lost a hero today," NBA superstar and Ohio kid LeBron James said in an Instagram post that also featured a video of four-time NBA champion James, then playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, bowing to Brown as he sat courtside at a game.

"Rest in Paradise to the legend Jim Brown," James wrote. "I hope every Black athlete takes the time to educate themselves about this incredible man and what he did to change all of our lives.

"We all stand on your shoulders Jim Brown."

Former US President Barack Obama also joined the tributes to Brown's legacy.

"I was too young to remember Jim Brown's playing days, but I knew his legacy," Obama tweeted. "One of the greatest football players ever, he was also an actor and activist – speaking out on civil rights, and pushing other Black athletes to do the same. Our thoughts are with Jim's wife Monique, his children, and everyone who knew and admired him."