During his nine-year career, he was widely regarded as the greatest running back of all time, and was the first player to exceed the mark of 10,000 rushing yards in a single season. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971, his first year of eligibility. His most popular and valuable trading cards are a reflection of his legendary career.
In 1958, Brown was the sixth player to appear on a Topps rookie card, the first of seven cards in the Topps series. These cards are highly prized by collectors, with mint condition cards selling for six figures.