Cleveland Browns road jersey attributed to Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown. Although we technically have to use the word attributed here because the jersey dates to the 1950s and other players wore number "32" on the Browns prior to Jim Brown joining the club in 1957, the jersey comes with strong provenance that makes us very confident that it was indeed worn by Brown in either his 1957 rookie season or 1958. According our our consignor, who has provided a lengthy one-page letter detailing its history, her father obtained this jersey directly from the visiting team's locker room at Yankee Stadium during the late 1950s when he was employed by the New York Giants.

As she relates, her father worked as an assistant trainer with the New York Giants football team in 1957 and 1958. One of the duties of the assistant trainer was to provide support service to the visiting clubs, which included cleaning the visiting locker room after the game. Following a game against the Browns, the offered jersey was left behind on a bench and, being a big fan of Jim Brown, he asked his boss if he could have it. His boss said yes and it remained in his possession until his death, at which time it was passed down to family members. Since her father worked for the Giants only in 1957 and 1958, and he always maintained that he acquired it late in the season, the jersey must have been worn by Brown in either the December 15, 1957 game, the December 14, 1958 game, or the December 21, 1958 playoff game (the only three dates the Browns played the Giants late in the season at Yankee Stadium during the two-year span 1957-1958).

The white dureen jersey, with brown and orange sleeve trim, features the number "32" on both the front and reverse. All numerals are applied in brown tackle twill. Located on the underside of the crotch strap are a "King-O'Shea" label, an adjacent "50" size tag, and a "Blepp-Coombs Sporting Goods" label. A wash tag reading "Dry Clean Only" appears in the collar. The jersey is original as issued and displays moderate-to-heavy wear, including moderate soil and perspiration staining throughout. Jim Brown Cleveland Browns jerseys are rare and this is just the second we have ever offered. The fact that it is an early example (the jersey is without sleeve numbers, which Cleveland first adopted in 1961), and might even possibly date from Brown's 1957 rookie season, makes it especially significant.

Few players, in any sport, have achieved legendary status. Jim Brown is one of them. Considered by many to be the greatest player in NFL history, Brown rewrote the record books and left a bar so high that to this day, many of his rushing marks remain unbroken. In his nine seasons (1957-1965) Brown led the league in rushing and yards per game eight times. The first player to score over 100 touchdowns, Brown still holds the record for most yards per carry (5.2) and is the only player in NFL history to average 100 yards per game. Among his many honors were four MVP Awards, eight All-Pro First Team selections, nine Pro Bowl selections, and the Rookie of the Year Award. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1971.