It’s Black History Month, and President Donald Trump took the stage at the White House on Wednesday, citing stories about the most influential black people in the country. He took the opportunity to crown a former NFL player as the greatest of all time, and it was none other than the late Cleveland Browns legend Jim Brown.

“I would say there can’t be a greater football player than Jim Brown,” Trump said in his presidential speech, and explained why he feels that way. “He really liked Trump, Jim Brown. He was tough. He’d come in, he was very silent. He was silent but deadly. He’s come in and look at people, and if he didn’t like them, he’d just look at me and he’d go, ‘no good’. He wanted to rip their heart out.”

Many football fans might not agree with the president’s statement, but Trump’s stance is clear. A former running back for the Browns for 9 years, Brown was one of the most productive FBs in NFL history, with a generational dual-threat ability. In less than a decade, he racked up 12,312 yards and 106 touchdowns, about 104.3 rushing yards per game.

His receiving ability was almost as good as his rushing consistency, and he finished his career with 262 receptions for 2,499 yards and 20 touchdowns. He’s the benchmark for any RB that has played for the Browns since his retirement in 1965, and will continue to be for anyone that comes in.

But Donald Trump’s ‘GOAT’ label isn’t just about what Brown did on the field, but his support for the President. Brown had met with Trump multiple times over the years and made his admiration clear after Trump won the Presidential Elections in 2016.

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“He won it fair and square,” he said, despite voting for Hillary Clinton at the time. “When he went through what he went through to become President, he got my admiration,” Brown added. “No one gave him a chance.”

He also met with the President in New York later.

“We couldn’t have had a better meeting,” he said. “The graciousness, the intelligence, the reception we got was fantastic. He’s amenable to listening to people who didn’t vote for him.”

Later, as Trump’s presidency unfolded, Brown said he found himself “pulling for the president” despite acknowledging that critics had reasons to criticize Trump, and also defended a joint White House meeting with Trump and musician Kanye West in 2018, framing it as a positive opportunity to discuss issues.

His support, combined with what he produced on the field, was more than enough for Donald Trump to label him as the greatest football player he’s ever seen.

Jim Brown’s daughter reacts to Trump’s remark

The HOFer passed away on May 18, 2023, and would’ve celebrated his 90th birthday on Tuesday. But Trump’s speech in the White House about Brown didn’t go unheard, as his daughter, Kimberly, heard her father being called the greatest of all time, and made sure to thank the President for his remark.

“Thank you @potus @realdonaldtrump for recognizing my father Jim Brown at the White House Black History Month Event today,” she wrote. “The day after his birthday 🎉🎊🎂🎁🏆✨🤎.”

As productive as Brown’s football career was, he was just as busy after his retirement. He appeared in dozens of films after hanging up his cleats, including classics like “The Fortune Cookie” and “I am Ali,” and was actively involved in civil rights, fighting for what he believed in.

In fact, his support for Trump was more about the weight and impact of his position than anything else.

“It isn’t really about Donald Trump,” Brown said. “It’s about him and the position he occupies. When he goes through what he went through to become the president, he got my admiration. They called him names … he reached back and brought them along with him. He held no grudges.”

He believed that job creation and urban development were the pillars of further development, and was convinced that the Trump administration could make good things happen.

“I was talking about my partner sitting right here,” Brown said. “I was talking to the man who got us together. The man who’s been the catalyst. The man who has represented. And he’s comical, and he’s very vivacious. You know, he’s a character.”

Brown will be remembered for a lot of things – his football career, the Hollywood gigs, his inclination towards civil rights – and his backing of Donald Trump sits somewhere in that mix as well.