A Tribute to Walter (Sweetness) Payton
Born: July 25, 1954
Died: November 1, 1999
He's now on God's Football team!!
REST IN PEACE
Walter Payton
|
The name Walter Payton is one of the names in the world that needs
no introduction. Walter's Chicago Bear records from 1975 through
1987 are long and impressive. While primarily a running back, Walter
was the ultimate athlete. He was NFL Player of the Year and Most
Valuable Player in both 1977 and 1985. In addition to his list of
accomplishments, he caught 495 pass receptions for 4,538 yards and
15 touchdowns, and passed 34 times for 331 yards and eight
touchdowns.
Walter's historical career as a running back helped to establish him
as the All-time leader in running and combined net yards. Walter contributed
16,026 rushing yards with 100 touchdowns to his tenure with the Bears.
The first round draft choice from Jackson State played in nine Pro
Bowls, holds the single game rushing record of 275 yards against
central division rivals--the Minnesota Vikings, and completed 77
games over 100 yards. While always being the number one target of
defensive opponents, Walter only missed one game in his rookie
season with a bruised thigh before going on to play 186 consecutive
games. Walter's compact style and moves on the playing field will
always be memorable.