Walter Payton, who passed away on November 1, 1999, was the essence of what an NFL player should be. His Hall of Fame career with the Chicago Bears still rings in the ears of Bear's fans and to this day, sports announcers, still compare rookies to Payton's running style.
Born in 1954 in Columbia, Mississippi, Walter was smack in the middle of the racially charged South and reflected on that throughout his public career. One of three children, Walter's youth was not full of the technology of today and kids were kids who fished and played kick-ball and stickball and sports of all kinds. At John Jefferson High School, he found football to be his game and continued on at Jackson State in Jackson, Mississippi.
Fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting, Walter was also the fourth pick in the 1975 NFL draft going to Chicago. With his rookie season starting slow with only 679 total yards and 7 touchdowns, his final rookie game against New Orleans was a vision of what was to come when he ran for 134 yards-a site unseen in Chicago since the Gale Sayers days.
His second year as a Bear saw him with 13 touchdowns and 1,000 yards, a performance which won him the NFL's 1977 MVP title. The Bears went to the playoffs this year and Payton ran an impressive 274 yards in a single game, a record which stood for 23 years.
Walter Payton was known fondly as "sweetness" to fans and teammates, a nickname which belied his incredible 13 year career record of 16,726 total career-rushing yards, 110 touchdowns and no less than 77 100-yard rushing games.
Payton made it look easy, with 1,000 yards dashed in each season between 1976 and 1981. Payton played in every Pro Bowl from 1979 until his retirement. His rushing record has been broken since, but is record may still stand today were it not for NFL strikes which cut short the 1975 and 197 seasons.
With the arrival of coach Mike Ditka and his authoritative attitude, new players were recruited to Chicago to ensure Payton's success. That came in 1984 when they led the NFC Central Division, the year that Walter broke Jim Brown's running record. Walter, being the gentleman he was, accepted his new title with dignity, but reminded everyone that day to think of other athletes whose careers were cut short due to injury or illness.
The Bears hurrah came in 1984 where they finished the season 10-6, the first time they made the post-season since 1963. It was then in 1986, that the Bears beat New England in the Super bowl with an ending score of 46-10-a game to be remembered, even if New England stopped Walter's running or scoring attempts-he now had a Super bowl ring and started what is still called "The Super bowl Shuffle."
Payton would retire the following year, seeing a hero's send off at Chicago's Soldier Field. He stayed active after his retirement, serving on the Chicago Bears board of directors, starting a racing team and in 1996, opening Walter Payton's Roadhouse, a restaurant and brewpub. In 1996, Payton was elevated to the NFL Hall of Fame, taking his rightful place among the other legends of the gridiron.
Early in 1999, Walter, with his wife Connie beside him told the press that he had been diagnosed with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis-a condition that would eventually place him on an organ donor list for a new liver. Walter did not use his notoriety to gain that liver and while he avoided the limelight during 1999, it was announced on November 1st of that year that he had passed away.
The number 34; Payton's is one which instantly brings a smile to the face of any Bears fan. The foundation started by Payton's wife Connie is yet another of his legacies, urging the people of Illinois to become organ donors. To this day, people in Chicago feel that they lost something truly special when they lost this remarkable man. - 16887
Born in 1954 in Columbia, Mississippi, Walter was smack in the middle of the racially charged South and reflected on that throughout his public career. One of three children, Walter's youth was not full of the technology of today and kids were kids who fished and played kick-ball and stickball and sports of all kinds. At John Jefferson High School, he found football to be his game and continued on at Jackson State in Jackson, Mississippi.
Fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting, Walter was also the fourth pick in the 1975 NFL draft going to Chicago. With his rookie season starting slow with only 679 total yards and 7 touchdowns, his final rookie game against New Orleans was a vision of what was to come when he ran for 134 yards-a site unseen in Chicago since the Gale Sayers days.
His second year as a Bear saw him with 13 touchdowns and 1,000 yards, a performance which won him the NFL's 1977 MVP title. The Bears went to the playoffs this year and Payton ran an impressive 274 yards in a single game, a record which stood for 23 years.
Walter Payton was known fondly as "sweetness" to fans and teammates, a nickname which belied his incredible 13 year career record of 16,726 total career-rushing yards, 110 touchdowns and no less than 77 100-yard rushing games.
Payton made it look easy, with 1,000 yards dashed in each season between 1976 and 1981. Payton played in every Pro Bowl from 1979 until his retirement. His rushing record has been broken since, but is record may still stand today were it not for NFL strikes which cut short the 1975 and 197 seasons.
With the arrival of coach Mike Ditka and his authoritative attitude, new players were recruited to Chicago to ensure Payton's success. That came in 1984 when they led the NFC Central Division, the year that Walter broke Jim Brown's running record. Walter, being the gentleman he was, accepted his new title with dignity, but reminded everyone that day to think of other athletes whose careers were cut short due to injury or illness.
The Bears hurrah came in 1984 where they finished the season 10-6, the first time they made the post-season since 1963. It was then in 1986, that the Bears beat New England in the Super bowl with an ending score of 46-10-a game to be remembered, even if New England stopped Walter's running or scoring attempts-he now had a Super bowl ring and started what is still called "The Super bowl Shuffle."
Payton would retire the following year, seeing a hero's send off at Chicago's Soldier Field. He stayed active after his retirement, serving on the Chicago Bears board of directors, starting a racing team and in 1996, opening Walter Payton's Roadhouse, a restaurant and brewpub. In 1996, Payton was elevated to the NFL Hall of Fame, taking his rightful place among the other legends of the gridiron.
Early in 1999, Walter, with his wife Connie beside him told the press that he had been diagnosed with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis-a condition that would eventually place him on an organ donor list for a new liver. Walter did not use his notoriety to gain that liver and while he avoided the limelight during 1999, it was announced on November 1st of that year that he had passed away.
The number 34; Payton's is one which instantly brings a smile to the face of any Bears fan. The foundation started by Payton's wife Connie is yet another of his legacies, urging the people of Illinois to become organ donors. To this day, people in Chicago feel that they lost something truly special when they lost this remarkable man. - 16887
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