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Wikipedia

Walter Payton

March 07, 2023

This article is about the American football running back. For the musician, see Walter Payton (musician).

Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1953[notes 1] – November 1, 1999) was an American professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Chicago Bears. Nicknamed "Sweetness", he is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Payton is remembered as a prolific rusher, once holding records for career rushing yards, touchdowns, carries, yards from scrimmage, all-purpose yards, and many other categories. Payton also retired with the most receptions by a non-receiver, and he had eight career touchdown passes.

Walter Payton
Payton in 1987
No. 34
Position:Running back
Personal information
Born:(1953-07-25)July 25, 1953[notes 1]
Columbia, Mississippi, U.S.
Died:November 1, 1999(1999-11-01) (aged 46)
South Barrington, Illinois, U.S.
Height:5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Weight:200 lb (91 kg)
Career information
High school:Columbia
(Columbia, MS)
College:Jackson State (1971–1974)
NFL Draft:1975 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4
Career history
Career highlights and awards
NFL record
  • Most consecutive starts by a running back: 170[a]
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards:16,726
Yards per carry:4.4
Rushing touchdowns:110
Receptions:492
Receiving yards:4,538
Receiving touchdowns:15
Player stats at NFL.com · PFR
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame

He was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame that same year, and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996. He was named to the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1994 and the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team in 2019. Hall of Fame NFL player and coach Mike Ditka described Payton as the greatest football player he had ever seen—but even greater as a human being.[1]

Payton began his football career in Mississippi and went on to have an outstanding collegiate football career at Jackson State University, where he was an All-American. He started his professional career with the Chicago Bears in 1975, who selected him with the 1975 Draft's fourth overall pick. Payton proceeded to win the 1977 AP NFL Most Valuable Player Award and won Super Bowl XX with the 1985 Chicago Bears. He retired from football at the end of the 1987 season having rushed for at least 1,200 yards in 10 of his 13 seasons in the NFL (with two of those thirteen being lockout-shortened seasons).

After struggling with the rare liver disease primary sclerosing cholangitis for several months, Payton died on November 1, 1999, from cholangiocarcinoma at the age of 46. His legacy includes being the namesake of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, Walter Payton Award, and a heightened awareness of the need for organ donations.

Early life

Payton was one of three children born to Peter and Alyne Payton in Columbia, Mississippi. Payton's year of birth is disputed; most sources at the time of his death stated he was born in 1954.[2][3][4] However, other sources have stated he was born in 1953.[5][6][7] His father was a factory worker who had played semi-professional baseball;[8] he died in jail just a couple of hours after being wrongfully accused of driving under the influence due to a stroke that presented similar symptoms to alcohol intoxication.[9][10] Payton was an active member of the Boy Scouts, Little League, and his local church. At John J. Jefferson High School, Payton played drums in the marching band, participated in the track team and sang in the school choir.[11][12] Outside of school, he played drums in jazz-rock groups.[12]

His brother Eddie was on the football team, but Payton did not play—partly to avoid competing with him. After Eddie graduated, the football coach asked Payton to try out for the team, and he agreed on the condition that he be allowed to continue playing in the band.[12]

Once he began to play football, as a junior, he achieved instant success as a running back, running 65 yards for a touchdown on his first high-school carry.[12][13] At 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m), he was not especially large, but his speed and strength made him one of the team's featured players. John J. Jefferson High School was integrated with neighboring Columbia High School that year; Payton and his teammates were upset that their head coach, Charles L. Boston, had become an assistant and Payton boycotted some of the spring practices in protest, but returned during the fall season.[14][15] He then earned statewide honors as a member of Mississippi's all-state team, leading Columbia to an unexpected 8–2 season.[15][14] His performance helped ease the local tensions surrounding desegregation.[11][16] Tommy Davis, Columbia's football coach, claimed that he could always count on Payton when the team needed to score. Payton's statistics proved that was no exaggeration: he scored in every game during his junior and senior years. He was named to the all-conference team two years in a row. Payton also led the Little Dixie Conference in scoring his senior year and made the all-state team. In addition to excelling at football, Payton averaged 18 points a game for Columbia's basketball team, leaped three-quarters of an inch short of 23 feet in the long jump, played baseball, and continued to drum in the school band.[13]

College career

Even though Payton had established himself as one of Mississippi's best running back prospects, he received no invitations from Southeastern Conference colleges. After originally committing to Kansas State University, he decided to pursue his collegiate career at the historically black school Jackson State University (MS) where his older brother Eddie played football.[17][18]

While attending Jackson State, Payton played alongside many future professional football players, including his roommate, Rickey Young, as well as Jerome Barkum, Robert Brazile, and Jackie Slater. As a member of the Jackson State Tigers, Payton rushed for 3,600 yards, averaging 6.1 yards per carry, and set the school record for career rushing touchdowns with 65.[notes 2] In 1973, Payton had a school record 24 rushing touchdowns,[19] and was named Black College Player of the Year. He won this award again in 1974, in addition to being selected for the All-American Team.[20] Payton graduated in 1975 with a Bachelor's degree in Communications.[14][15]

He acquired the nickname "Sweetness" in college. The nickname's origin is ambiguous: it is variously said to have stemmed from his personality, from his athletic grace, or as an ironic description of his aggressive playing style.[21] Payton was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996,[15] and he was posthumously inducted into the inaugural class of the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.[22][23]

Breakout performance

On September 23, 1972, during Payton's sophomore year, he set a then-best SWAC single-game scoring record by rushing for seven touchdowns (on runs of 6, 8, 2, 3, 1, 2, and 31 yards) and two 2-point conversions for 46 points as Jackson State beat Lane College, 72–0.[24] He also set a school record with 279 rushing yards in the game.[notes 3]

Statistics

Season Rushing Kicking
Att Yards Avg TD XPM FGM
1971 94 652 6.9 5 13 3
1972 124 781 6.3 15 21 0
1973 205 1,139 5.6 24 13 2
1974 175 1,029 5.9 19 6 0
Totals 598 3,600 6.0 63 53 5

Professional career

1975–1982

The Chicago Bears drafted Walter Payton in the first round of the 1975 NFL Draft as the fourth overall pick. Payton was assigned #21 by the team but switched to #34 before the season started.[25] The Bears had endured several losing seasons after the retirement of the iconic Gale Sayers in 1972. Payton's first game was not particularly successful; he was held to zero net rushing yards on eight attempts. His best performance of the season was the final game against the New Orleans Saints, where he rushed for 134 yards on 20 carries. Payton finished the season with only 679 yards and seven touchdowns.[14][15][26] However, Payton led the league in yards per kickoff return.[27]

Payton was eager to improve his performance. During the 1976 NFL season, Payton rushed for 1,390 yards and scored 13 touchdowns.[28] After the season, he was selected to play in the 1977 Pro Bowl, where he was declared the Pro Bowl MVP. The next year, he rushed for 1,852 yards and scored 16 touchdowns, becoming the league's leading scorer for the season. He earned numerous awards that season, including the Associated Press and Pro Football Writers of America's Most Valuable Player awards. A memorable game of the 1977 NFL season was against the Minnesota Vikings on November 20. He rushed for a then-record 275 yards, breaking the previous record of 273 yards held by O. J. Simpson.[29] In that record-setting game against the Vikings, Payton was suffering with a 101-degree fever and intense flu. His longest run was for 58 yards, and he caught one pass for 6 yards. His record stood for 23 years until Corey Dillon of the Cincinnati Bengals ran for 278 yards on October 22, 2000. (Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings set the current record of 296 rushing yards in 2007.) By the end of the decade, Payton had received additional accolades for his exploits as a blocker, receiver, emergency punter, and quarterback.[14][15][8]

1983–1986

 
Payton (34) pictured breaking the NFL's career rushing record on October 7, 1984.

The Bears struggled to assemble consecutive winning seasons, landing only two playoff berths since his arrival. The lack of success prompted the Bears' management to replace Neill Armstrong with Mike Ditka for the season that began in the Fall of 1982. Ditka, a tight end during the 1960s and 1970s who would also join the Pro Football Hall of Fame, led the Bears to a 3–6 (strike-shortened) record in 1982. He led the Bears to an 8–8 finish in 1983 and to a 10–6 finish in 1984. Payton continued his success by rushing for more than 1,400 yards in both seasons. On September 19, 1984, Payton passed Franco Harris as the active leader in career rushing yards. Three weeks later, on October 7, 1984, against the New Orleans Saints, Payton broke Jim Brown's career rushing record of 12,312 yards. In 1985, Payton rushed for more than 1,500 yards, helping the Bears establish the league's second-best offense with the emergence of quarterback Jim McMahon. The Bears' 46 defense of that season would go on to become one of the best in NFL history, setting a record for fewest points allowed.[30] In one 1984 game, Payton was pressed into service as the team's fourth-string quarterback.[31]

Payton performed with his teammates in the widely released 1985 music video The Super Bowl Shuffle. The Bears went on to a 15–1 record that culminated in a 46–10 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX. Although Payton's offensive prowess had assisted the Bears throughout the 1985 season, he did not score any touchdowns in the postseason and the New England Patriots prevented him from reaching the end zone in the Super Bowl. According to quarterback Jim McMahon, he was targeted by two or three defenders on every play, and others stated that Payton's mere presence allowed others to shine, given that at least 2 people were targeting Payton on every play.[18] In a later interview, Ditka stated that one of his major regrets was Payton's lack of a touchdown in the Super Bowl.[14][15][32]

1986–1987

Payton, who was a 12-year veteran, amassed 1,333 yards in the 1986 NFL season. The Bears won the NFC Central Division, but lost to the Washington Redskins 27–13 in the divisional round. At the end of the 1986 season, he announced that he would retire from professional football after completing the 1987 NFL season. During his last season with the Bears, Payton split carries with his successor, Neal Anderson, and rushed for a career-low 533 yards along with four touchdowns. Payton's career ended with another loss to the Washington Redskins in the divisional round of the playoffs by the score of 21–17 on January 10, 1988. Over his entire career, Payton rushed for 16,726 yards, which broke the record for most rushing yards by any NFL player in history, and scored 110 touchdowns. He caught 492 passes for 4,538 yards and 15 touchdowns. Payton set several team records, including most career rushing yards, receptions, touchdowns, and touchdown passes by a running back. His jersey number was retired by the Bears, and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993.[14][15]

Playing style

Payton's motto was "Never Die Easy", which is also the title of his posthumously published autobiography. Payton attributed this motto to Bob Hill, his coach at Jackson State. In practice, this meant that Payton refused to deliberately run out-of-bounds and always delivered some punishment to his tacklers before being forced off the field or forced down.[18]

One of Payton's signature maneuvers was the "stutter-step", a high-stepping, irregularly paced run. He developed this as a way to distract his pursuers during long runs, saying that it startled them into thinking and gave him some advantage over players who were actually faster runners.[18] In his autobiography, he likened the stutter step to a kind of "option play": when he was stutter-stepping, defenders would have to commit to a pursuit angle based upon whether they thought he would accelerate after the stutter-step, or cut—he would read this angle and do the opposite of what the defender had committed to.[1]

He re-invented the practice of stiff-arming his tacklers, which had gone out of favor among running backs in the 1970s.[33] At times, he used his high-school experience as a long jumper to leap over his opponents, landing on his head in the end zone to gain a touchdown in a game against the Buffalo Bills.[34] His running gait was somewhat unusual, as his knees were minimally bent, and the motion was largely powered from the hip.[35] This may have given his knees, a football player's most vulnerable joints, some protection, although he underwent arthroscopic surgery on both knees in 1983. He referred to this procedure as an 11,000-yard checkup.[35]

After scoring touchdowns, Payton declined to celebrate; instead, he would often hand the ball to his teammates or the official. He disapproved of the growing practice of touchdown celebrations; he preferred post-game antics such as rushing into the locker room and locking his teammates out in the cold while taking a long shower.[18] Although Payton would have won the respect of his peers and coaches by his running alone, he retired as the career leader in receptions for a running back, with 492 for over 4,500 yards,[36][notes 4] and still holds the career record for a running back, with 8 touchdown passes.[notes 5]

Personal life

Throughout his life, Payton had claimed his date of birth as July 25, 1954, a date which is cited in many of his early biographies.[18][37][38] However, while researching his biography of Payton, Sports Illustrated's Jeff Pearlman discovered his actual date of birth to be July 25, 1953.[17] Pearlman found Payton's earliest use of the later date during his pursuit of the Heisman Trophy at Jackson State.[17]

Payton married Connie Norwood in 1976. During his rookie year, he resided in a home on the north side of Arlington Heights, Illinois. The couple had two children, Jarrett Payton (born 1980) and Brittney Payton (1985)[39][40] and resided in South Barrington, Illinois. Payton's marriage of 18 years came to an abrupt end when he unexpectedly served Norwood divorce papers for joint custody; however, despite not living together for most of the remainder of Payton's life, the divorce was never made official.[41]

Payton was inducted as a laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois and awarded the Order of Lincoln by the governor of Illinois in 1987 in the area of sports.[42] In 1988, he received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement.[43]

In 1987, Payton accidentally shot a manager of a nightclub in Schaumburg, Illinois, that was owned by Payton.[44] Payton had recently bought the 9 mm French-made Maurhin Pistolet for his collection and was unaware that it was loaded.[44] The pistol, which was described as a collector's handgun that was registered, discharged while being handed to Payton by a third party while pointed at the nightclub manager, Elmer Ray Hutson Jr.; Hutson suffered knee damage from the shooting.[44]

Payton battled with depression after his playing career.[45] His agent, Bud Holmes, recalled Payton talked about committing suicide.[45] His executive assistant, Ginny Quirk, also recounted a similar instance where Payton said, "You won't see me when you get to the office tomorrow. Enjoy life without me."[45]

A Christian, Payton attended the non-denominational Destiny Church in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, in the years after retiring from football.[46]

Investments

In 1995, Payton, along with many other investors, sought to bring an NFL expansion team to St. Louis, Missouri, and Payton expressed his interest in becoming the first minority owner in NFL history.[27] Although the NFL strongly favored a franchise in St. Louis, their efforts were thwarted because of internal dissension among the investment group members.[1] leading the NFL to award franchises to investment groups in Jacksonville, Florida (Jacksonville Jaguars), and Charlotte, North Carolina (Carolina Panthers).[47] St. Louis eventually received a team when the Los Angeles Rams moved to the city in 1995.[48]

Payton pursued various business ventures in retirement, including becoming co-owner of Dale Coyne Racing in the CART IndyCar World Series. He also drove in several Trans-Am Series events, including a 1993 race at Road America in which his car overturned and caught fire. He suffered burns but escaped serious injury.[49]

In 1995, he and several partners purchased a roundhouse in Aurora, Illinois that had previously belonged to the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad. The property became known as "Walter Payton's Roundhouse", hosting a restaurant, brewery, banquet and meeting facility, and museum. In 1999, the property received an award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation.[50] The beers brewed at the Roundhouse received awards in the 2000s.[51]

In popular culture

Payton appeared on a 1987 episode of Saturday Night Live (co-hosting with fellow football player Joe Montana).[52] That same year, he participated in Prince Edward of the United Kingdom's charity television special The Grand Knockout Tournament. In 1994, he made an appearance at the World Wrestling Federation's SummerSlam event in the corner of Razor Ramon.[53]

Illness and death

In February 1999, Payton announced that he had a rare liver disease known as primary sclerosing cholangitis, which may have led to his cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer). He spent his final months as an advocate for organ transplants, appearing in many commercials to encourage others to donate organs, although by the time his first appeal was recorded, his illness was already too far advanced for transplantation to have been a viable option.[18] In April of that year, Payton made a final public appearance at a Chicago Cubs game with Mike Ditka, where he threw the game's ceremonial first pitch.[54][55] Author Don Yaeger worked with him during the last weeks of his life to create his autobiography, Never Die Easy.[12]

On November 1, 1999, Payton died from the complications that arose from his illness.[56] He was 46 years old. During the same week, the NFL held special ceremonies in each game to commemorate his career and legacy. In addition, the Chicago Bears wore special #34 patches on their jerseys to honor Payton.[54]

Speakers at Payton's public funeral service, held in Soldier Field, included then National Football League Commissioner Paul Tagliabue; former teammate Dan Hampton; his widow, Connie Payton; and his children, Jarrett and Brittney.[57] Among the 1,000 mourners at the private service were John Madden; Illinois Governor George Ryan; Chicago's mayor Richard M. Daley; former teammates Matt Suhey, Mike Singletary, Roland Harper, and Jim McMahon; the Bears' equipment manager and building superintendent.[58]

Legacy

 
The Walter Payton Center at Halas Hall within the Chicago Bears HQ.

Payton's legacy continues through the charitable Walter and Connie Payton Foundation. His own appeals—and, after his death, his foundation's—for greater awareness of the need for organ donations are widely credited with bringing national attention to the problem.[59] After his appeals, donations in Illinois skyrocketed, and the regional organ bank of Illinois was overwhelmed with calls.[60] In response, the City of Chicago inserted organ donation requests into city-vehicle-registration mailings in early 2000, and, by August 2000, 13,000 people had signed on to the program.[61] The foundation continues to run a program that Payton organized to donate toys to underprivileged children across the Chicago area each Christmas.[15] The family established the Walter Payton Cancer Fund in 2002.[62]

Pro Football Focus founder Neil Hornsby in 2010 named Payton as the greatest player in NFL history.[63] Many modern NFL running backs have cited Payton as a source of inspiration. Emmitt Smith tearfully paid homage to Payton after breaking Payton's rushing record.[64] LaDainian Tomlinson, who set numerous records during the 2006 NFL season, named Payton as one of his foremost mentors and inspirations.[65] Ahman Green, a former player for the Bears' rival Green Bay Packers, is said to have idolized Payton, viewing the highlight film "Pure Payton" before each game.[66] Walter's son, Jarrett Payton, was a running back for the Tennessee Titans, NFL Europe's Amsterdam Admirals, CFL's Montreal Alouettes, and IFL's Chicago Slaughter. During his tenure at the University of Miami, Jarrett wore a #34 jersey to honor his father's memory.[15] In 2009, Jarrett married on March 4 (3/4), which was intentionally set to coincide with Payton's jersey number.[67]

The city of Chicago has honored Payton's memory in several ways. In 1999, the city created a special city sticker that featured Payton. The profits from the sales of these stickers along with the special license plate created by the State of Illinois are given to support organ-donor programs across Illinois.[68] Also, the city named a magnet high school, Walter Payton College Prep, in his honor. In September 2007, the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center opened the Walter Payton Liver Center after a generous donation from Payton's family, who were pleased with the care he received there.[69] Chicago Metra commuters have long been witness to a simple "#34 Sweetness", painted on a bridge piling of the Air Line on the south end of the Chicago Union Station yards. The State of Illinois has named U.S. Route 34 in Illinois as the Walter Payton Memorial Highway.[70]

Until its sale to Two Brothers Brewing in 2011, Walter Payton's Roundhouse continued to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors annually to the Aurora, Illinois site. A plaque now hangs on the building commemorating Payton. There are two athletic awards named after Payton. The NCAA gives the "Walter Payton Award" to the best offensive player from a Division I FCS (still often known by its former designation of Division I-AA) football team. The NFL hands out the "Walter Payton Man of the Year" award for player achievements in community service during a particular season. The wellness center at Jackson State University is also named in honor of him, known as "The Walter Payton Recreation and Wellness Center."[71][72]

The Chicago Bears honored Payton's career and life on November 1, 2009, by airing a special tribute video during halftime. The video consisted of highlight clips from Payton's career and interview segments from Mike Ditka, Virginia McCaskey, Richard Dent, and many other members of the Bears organization. Payton's wife, daughter, son, and mother were present to watch the video, which aired on Soldier Field's Jumbotron.[73] The Bears later named their official indoor practice and training facility at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Illinois after Payton.[74]

After Payton's death, Nickol Knoll Hill, an old landfill site turned into a golf course in Arlington Heights, Illinois, was renamed "Payton's Hill". There are two plaques on the hill to remind visitors of the hill that it was where Payton used to train in the 1970s and 1980s. Payton did his morning run at the hill every day. Pictures and memorabilia of Payton cover the walls of the golf course clubhouse.[75]

The asteroid 85386 Payton, discovered by the Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing observatory in 1996, is named in Payton's memory.[76] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 20 May 2008 (M.P.C. 62930).[77]

In September 2019, the Chicago Tribune named Payton the greatest Bears player of all time.[78]

NFL career statistics

Payton was the NFL's all-time leader in rushing yards and all-purpose yards prior to the 2002 NFL season, when Emmitt Smith broke his record. Payton also held the rushing touchdown record until it was broken by Marcus Allen during the 1996 NFL season. He also held the single game rushing record until the 2000 NFL season, when it was broken by Corey Dillon. Payton led the league in rushing yards and touchdowns in the 1977 NFL season. Also, he was among the top-ten players for rushing attempts during his entire career, including 1976, 1977, and 1978, and led the category in 1979. As of 2022, he is the NFL's second all-time leading rusher, and he is ranked fifth in rushing touchdowns scored.[79] Along with Frank Gifford, Payton threw six interceptions, more than any other non-quarterback position in NFL history.[80] He also passed for eight touchdowns, which is second to Gifford (14) for non-quarterbacks.[81][82][83]

Legend
AP NFL MVP & OPOTY
Won the Super Bowl
Led the league
Bold Career high

Regular season

Year Team GP Rushing Receiving All pps yds Passing
Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Yds TD
1975 CHI 13 196 679 3.5 54T 7 33 213 6.5 40 0 892 0 0
1976 CHI 14 311 1,390 4.5 60 13 15 149 9.9 34 0 1,539 0 0
1977 CHI 14 339 1,852 5.5 73 14 27 269 10.0 75T 2 2,121 0 0
1978 CHI 16 333 1,395 4.2 76 11 50 480 9.6 61 0 1,875 0 0
1979 CHI 16 369 1,610 4.4 43T 14 31 313 10.1 65T 2 1,923 54 1
1980 CHI 16 317 1,460 4.6 69T 6 46 367 8.0 54T 1 1,827 0 0
1981 CHI 16 339 1,222 3.6 39 6 41 379 9.2 30 2 1,601 0 0
1982 CHI 9 148 596 4.0 26 1 32 311 9.7 40 0 907 39 1
1983 CHI 16 314 1,421 4.5 49T 6 53 607 11.5 74T 2 2,028 95 3
1984 CHI 16 381 1,684 4.4 72T 11 45 368 8.2 31 0 2,052 47 2
1985 CHI 16 324 1,551 4.8 40T 9 49 483 9.9 65 2 2,034 96 1
1986 CHI 16 321 1,333 4.2 41 8 37 382 10.3 57 3 1,715 0 0
1987 CHI 12 146 533 3.7 17 4 33 217 6.6 16 1 750 0 0
Career 190 3,838* 16,726* 4.4 76 110* 492 4,538 9.2 75 15 21,264* 331 8

Postseason

Year Team GP Rushing Receiving All pps yds Passing
Att Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Yds TD
1977 CHI 1 19 60 3.2 11 0 3 33 11.0 20 0 93 0 0
1979 CHI 1 16 67 4.2 12 2 3 52 17.3 31 0 119 0 0
1984 CHI 2 46 196 4.3 20 0 4 23 5.8 12 0 219 19 1
1985 CHI 3 67 186 2.8 12 0 8 52 6.5 19 0 238 0 0
1986 CHI 1 14 38 2.7 9 0 1 -2 -2.0 -2 0 36 0 0
1987 CHI 1 18 85 4.7 16 0 3 20 6.7 9 0 105 0 0
Career 9 180 632 3.5 20 2 22 178 8.1 31 0 810 19 1

* NFL Record at time of retirement

Bears franchise records

  • Most rush attempts (career): 3,838
  • Most rush attempts (season): 381 (1984)
  • Most rush attempts (game): 40 (1977-11-20 MIN)
  • Most rush attempts (playoff career): 180
  • Most rush attempts (playoff season): 67 (1985)
  • Most rush attempts (playoff game): 27 (1986-01-05 NYG; tied with Neal Anderson)
  • Most rush yards (career): 16,726
  • Most rush yards (season): 1,852 (1977)
  • Most rush yards (game): 275 (1977-11-20 MIN)
  • Most rush yards (playoff career): 632
  • Most rushing TDs (career): 110
  • Most rushing TDs (season): 14 (1977 and 1979; tied with Gale Sayers)
  • Most rushing TDs (playoff game): 2 (1979-12-23 @PHI; tied with Thomas Jones twice)
  • Most rush yds/game (career): 88.0
  • Most rush yds/game (season): 132.3 (1977)
  • Most receptions (career): 492
  • Most receptions (playoff career): 22
  • Most total TDs (career): 125
  • Most yds from scrimmage (career): 21,264
  • Most yds from scrimmage (season): 2,121 (1977)
  • Most yds from scrimmage (playoff career): 810
  • Most all purpose yds (career): 21,803
  • Most all purpose yds (playoff career): 867
  • Most 100+ yard rushing games (career): 78
  • Most 100+ yard rushing games (season): 10 (1977, 1984 and 1985)
  • Most games with 1+ TD scored (career): 89
  • Most games with 2+ TD scored (career): 32
  • Most games with 2+ TD scored (season): 6 (1977 and 1979)
  • Most games with 3+ TD scored (career): 6
  • Most games with 3+ TD scored (season): 2 (1977 and 1979; tied with Gale Sayers, Neal Anderson and Matt Forte)
  • Most seasons with 1000+ rushing yards (career): 10

NFL records

Explanatory notes

  1. ^ a b Although most sources at the time of his death gave Payton's birth year as 1954, reliable sources subsequently state he was born in 1953.
  2. ^ 65 rushing touchdowns is not an official NCAA record, as individual scoring records are not officially recognized.
  3. ^ As of 2015, second only to William Arnold's 346, see Media Guide October 23, 2020, at the Wayback Machine, p.57
  4. ^ See list for 1920–1987 (min. 1000 career rush attempts) at pro-football-reference.com
  5. ^ See running backs with 4+ passing TDs at pro-football-reference.com (max. 200 pass attempts)

Notes

  1. ^ 178 including playoffs

References

  1. ^ a b c Lichtenstein, Walter (October 15, 2000). "Never Die Easy: The Autobiography of Walter Payton". The New York Times. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  2. ^ Pierson, Don (1999-11-02). "CHICAGO'S 'SWEETNESS' DIES OF CANCER AT 45". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  3. ^ Litsky, Frank (1999-11-02). "Walter Payton, Extraordinary Running Back for Chicago Bears, Dies at 45". New York Times. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  4. ^ Wharton, David; Springer, Steve (1999-11-02). "Football Great Walter Payton Dies at 45". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  5. ^ "Reviewing "Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton"". Chicago Bears Huddle. 2011-11-08. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  6. ^ Pearlman, Jeff (2011-10-31). "Walter Payton: Human being". CNN. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  7. ^ "Walter Payton - College Football Hall of Fame". College Football Hall of Fame. 2016-02-18. Retrieved 2022-01-30.
  8. ^ a b . The Chicago Bears. Archived from the original on March 13, 2017. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  9. ^ "PAYTON'S HOMETOWN A BITTER PLACE IN THE HEART". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2022-08-17.
  10. ^ Walter Payton A Football Life, retrieved 2022-08-17
  11. ^ a b "AT A GLANCE – Payton, Walter". Oxford African American Studies Center. Retrieved February 4, 2010.
  12. ^ a b c d e Litsky, Frank (November 2, 1999). "Walter Payton, Extraordinary Running Back for Chicago Bears, Dies at 45". The New York Times. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  13. ^ a b "Walter Payton". Encyclopedia.com. 2005. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g . Payton34.org. Walter Payton Cancer Fund. Archived from the original on March 16, 2008. Retrieved February 19, 2017.Payton34.com, Walter Payton Biography, Retrieved on May 16, 2007.
  15. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Taylor, Roy (2002). . Chicago Bears History. Archived from the original on April 12, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  16. ^ "Walter Payton always at home in bronze sculpture". Chicago Tribune. September 11, 2009. Retrieved February 4, 2010.
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Further reading

  • Telander, Rick (November 1, 2012). "13 years later, Walter Payton's legend lives on". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved November 1, 2012.

External links

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Walter Payton (American football).
  • Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · Pro Football Reference
  • Payton34.com, the Walter and Connie Payton Foundation
  • Walter Payton Cancer Fund
  • Walter Payton Liver Center at the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago
  • tribute page at the Chicago Bears
  • Walter Payton at IMDb
  • Works by or about Walter Payton in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
  • Walter Payton collected news and commentary at The New York Times
Records
Preceded by NFL career rushing yards leader
1984–2002 		Succeeded by
Preceded by NFL single-game rushing record
November 20, 1977 – October 22, 2000 		Succeeded by

March 07, 2023
walter, payton, this, article, about, american, football, running, back, musician, musician, walter, jerry, payton, july, 1953, notes, november, 1999, american, professional, football, player, running, back, national, football, league, seasons, with, chicago, . This article is about the American football running back For the musician see Walter Payton musician Walter Jerry Payton July 25 1953 notes 1 November 1 1999 was an American professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League NFL for 13 seasons with the Chicago Bears Nicknamed Sweetness he is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time A nine time Pro Bowl selection Payton is remembered as a prolific rusher once holding records for career rushing yards touchdowns carries yards from scrimmage all purpose yards and many other categories Payton also retired with the most receptions by a non receiver and he had eight career touchdown passes Walter PaytonPayton in 1987No 34Position Running backPersonal informationBorn 1953 07 25 July 25 1953 notes 1 Columbia Mississippi U S Died November 1 1999 1999 11 01 aged 46 South Barrington Illinois U S Height 5 ft 10 in 1 78 m Weight 200 lb 91 kg Career informationHigh school Columbia Columbia MS College Jackson State 1971 1974 NFL Draft 1975 Round 1 Pick 4Career historyChicago Bears 1975 1987 Career highlights and awardsSuper Bowl champion XX NFL Most Valuable Player 1977 NFL Offensive Player of the Year 1977 NFL Man of the Year 1977 5 First team All Pro 1976 1977 1980 1984 1985 3 Second team All Pro 1978 1979 1986 9 Pro Bowl 1976 1980 1983 1986 NFL rushing yards leader 1977 NFL rushing touchdowns leader 1977 4 NFL rushing attempts leader 1976 1979 Bert Bell Award 1985 NFL 1970s All Decade Team NFL 1980s All Decade Team NFL 75th Anniversary All Time Team NFL 100th Anniversary All Time Team Chicago Bears No 34 retired 100 greatest Bears of All Time First team Little All American 1974 Second team Little All American 1973 NFL recordMost consecutive starts by a running back 170 a Career NFL statisticsRushing yards 16 726Yards per carry 4 4Rushing touchdowns 110Receptions 492Receiving yards 4 538Receiving touchdowns 15Player stats at NFL com PFRPro Football Hall of FameCollege Football Hall of FameHe was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993 the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame that same year and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996 He was named to the NFL 75th Anniversary All Time Team in 1994 and the NFL 100th Anniversary All Time Team in 2019 Hall of Fame NFL player and coach Mike Ditka described Payton as the greatest football player he had ever seen but even greater as a human being 1 Payton began his football career in Mississippi and went on to have an outstanding collegiate football career at Jackson State University where he was an All American He started his professional career with the Chicago Bears in 1975 who selected him with the 1975 Draft s fourth overall pick Payton proceeded to win the 1977 AP NFL Most Valuable Player Award and won Super Bowl XX with the 1985 Chicago Bears He retired from football at the end of the 1987 season having rushed for at least 1 200 yards in 10 of his 13 seasons in the NFL with two of those thirteen being lockout shortened seasons After struggling with the rare liver disease primary sclerosing cholangitis for several months Payton died on November 1 1999 from cholangiocarcinoma at the age of 46 His legacy includes being the namesake of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award Walter Payton Award and a heightened awareness of the need for organ donations Contents 1 Early life 2 College career 2 1 Breakout performance 2 2 Statistics 3 Professional career 3 1 1975 1982 3 2 1983 1986 3 3 1986 1987 4 Playing style 5 Personal life 6 Investments 7 In popular culture 8 Illness and death 9 Legacy 10 NFL career statistics 10 1 Regular season 10 2 Postseason 10 3 Bears franchise records 11 NFL records 12 Explanatory notes 13 Notes 14 References 15 Further reading 16 External linksEarly life EditPayton was one of three children born to Peter and Alyne Payton in Columbia Mississippi Payton s year of birth is disputed most sources at the time of his death stated he was born in 1954 2 3 4 However other sources have stated he was born in 1953 5 6 7 His father was a factory worker who had played semi professional baseball 8 he died in jail just a couple of hours after being wrongfully accused of driving under the influence due to a stroke that presented similar symptoms to alcohol intoxication 9 10 Payton was an active member of the Boy Scouts Little League and his local church At John J Jefferson High School Payton played drums in the marching band participated in the track team and sang in the school choir 11 12 Outside of school he played drums in jazz rock groups 12 His brother Eddie was on the football team but Payton did not play partly to avoid competing with him After Eddie graduated the football coach asked Payton to try out for the team and he agreed on the condition that he be allowed to continue playing in the band 12 Once he began to play football as a junior he achieved instant success as a running back running 65 yards for a touchdown on his first high school carry 12 13 At 5 ft 10 in 1 78 m he was not especially large but his speed and strength made him one of the team s featured players John J Jefferson High School was integrated with neighboring Columbia High School that year Payton and his teammates were upset that their head coach Charles L Boston had become an assistant and Payton boycotted some of the spring practices in protest but returned during the fall season 14 15 He then earned statewide honors as a member of Mississippi s all state team leading Columbia to an unexpected 8 2 season 15 14 His performance helped ease the local tensions surrounding desegregation 11 16 Tommy Davis Columbia s football coach claimed that he could always count on Payton when the team needed to score Payton s statistics proved that was no exaggeration he scored in every game during his junior and senior years He was named to the all conference team two years in a row Payton also led the Little Dixie Conference in scoring his senior year and made the all state team In addition to excelling at football Payton averaged 18 points a game for Columbia s basketball team leaped three quarters of an inch short of 23 feet in the long jump played baseball and continued to drum in the school band 13 College career EditEven though Payton had established himself as one of Mississippi s best running back prospects he received no invitations from Southeastern Conference colleges After originally committing to Kansas State University he decided to pursue his collegiate career at the historically black school Jackson State University MS where his older brother Eddie played football 17 18 While attending Jackson State Payton played alongside many future professional football players including his roommate Rickey Young as well as Jerome Barkum Robert Brazile and Jackie Slater As a member of the Jackson State Tigers Payton rushed for 3 600 yards averaging 6 1 yards per carry and set the school record for career rushing touchdowns with 65 notes 2 In 1973 Payton had a school record 24 rushing touchdowns 19 and was named Black College Player of the Year He won this award again in 1974 in addition to being selected for the All American Team 20 Payton graduated in 1975 with a Bachelor s degree in Communications 14 15 He acquired the nickname Sweetness in college The nickname s origin is ambiguous it is variously said to have stemmed from his personality from his athletic grace or as an ironic description of his aggressive playing style 21 Payton was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996 15 and he was posthumously inducted into the inaugural class of the Black College Football Hall of Fame in 2010 22 23 Breakout performance Edit On September 23 1972 during Payton s sophomore year he set a then best SWAC single game scoring record by rushing for seven touchdowns on runs of 6 8 2 3 1 2 and 31 yards and two 2 point conversions for 46 points as Jackson State beat Lane College 72 0 24 He also set a school record with 279 rushing yards in the game notes 3 Statistics Edit Season Rushing KickingAtt Yards Avg TD XPM FGM1971 94 652 6 9 5 13 31972 124 781 6 3 15 21 01973 205 1 139 5 6 24 13 21974 175 1 029 5 9 19 6 0Totals 598 3 600 6 0 63 53 5Professional career Edit1975 1982 Edit The Chicago Bears drafted Walter Payton in the first round of the 1975 NFL Draft as the fourth overall pick Payton was assigned 21 by the team but switched to 34 before the season started 25 The Bears had endured several losing seasons after the retirement of the iconic Gale Sayers in 1972 Payton s first game was not particularly successful he was held to zero net rushing yards on eight attempts His best performance of the season was the final game against the New Orleans Saints where he rushed for 134 yards on 20 carries Payton finished the season with only 679 yards and seven touchdowns 14 15 26 However Payton led the league in yards per kickoff return 27 Payton was eager to improve his performance During the 1976 NFL season Payton rushed for 1 390 yards and scored 13 touchdowns 28 After the season he was selected to play in the 1977 Pro Bowl where he was declared the Pro Bowl MVP The next year he rushed for 1 852 yards and scored 16 touchdowns becoming the league s leading scorer for the season He earned numerous awards that season including the Associated Press and Pro Football Writers of America s Most Valuable Player awards A memorable game of the 1977 NFL season was against the Minnesota Vikings on November 20 He rushed for a then record 275 yards breaking the previous record of 273 yards held by O J Simpson 29 In that record setting game against the Vikings Payton was suffering with a 101 degree fever and intense flu His longest run was for 58 yards and he caught one pass for 6 yards His record stood for 23 years until Corey Dillon of the Cincinnati Bengals ran for 278 yards on October 22 2000 Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings set the current record of 296 rushing yards in 2007 By the end of the decade Payton had received additional accolades for his exploits as a blocker receiver emergency punter and quarterback 14 15 8 1983 1986 Edit Payton 34 pictured breaking the NFL s career rushing record on October 7 1984 The Bears struggled to assemble consecutive winning seasons landing only two playoff berths since his arrival The lack of success prompted the Bears management to replace Neill Armstrong with Mike Ditka for the season that began in the Fall of 1982 Ditka a tight end during the 1960s and 1970s who would also join the Pro Football Hall of Fame led the Bears to a 3 6 strike shortened record in 1982 He led the Bears to an 8 8 finish in 1983 and to a 10 6 finish in 1984 Payton continued his success by rushing for more than 1 400 yards in both seasons On September 19 1984 Payton passed Franco Harris as the active leader in career rushing yards Three weeks later on October 7 1984 against the New Orleans Saints Payton broke Jim Brown s career rushing record of 12 312 yards In 1985 Payton rushed for more than 1 500 yards helping the Bears establish the league s second best offense with the emergence of quarterback Jim McMahon The Bears 46 defense of that season would go on to become one of the best in NFL history setting a record for fewest points allowed 30 In one 1984 game Payton was pressed into service as the team s fourth string quarterback 31 Payton performed with his teammates in the widely released 1985 music video The Super Bowl Shuffle The Bears went on to a 15 1 record that culminated in a 46 10 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX Although Payton s offensive prowess had assisted the Bears throughout the 1985 season he did not score any touchdowns in the postseason and the New England Patriots prevented him from reaching the end zone in the Super Bowl According to quarterback Jim McMahon he was targeted by two or three defenders on every play and others stated that Payton s mere presence allowed others to shine given that at least 2 people were targeting Payton on every play 18 In a later interview Ditka stated that one of his major regrets was Payton s lack of a touchdown in the Super Bowl 14 15 32 1986 1987 Edit Payton who was a 12 year veteran amassed 1 333 yards in the 1986 NFL season The Bears won the NFC Central Division but lost to the Washington Redskins 27 13 in the divisional round At the end of the 1986 season he announced that he would retire from professional football after completing the 1987 NFL season During his last season with the Bears Payton split carries with his successor Neal Anderson and rushed for a career low 533 yards along with four touchdowns Payton s career ended with another loss to the Washington Redskins in the divisional round of the playoffs by the score of 21 17 on January 10 1988 Over his entire career Payton rushed for 16 726 yards which broke the record for most rushing yards by any NFL player in history and scored 110 touchdowns He caught 492 passes for 4 538 yards and 15 touchdowns Payton set several team records including most career rushing yards receptions touchdowns and touchdown passes by a running back His jersey number was retired by the Bears and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993 14 15 Playing style EditPayton s motto was Never Die Easy which is also the title of his posthumously published autobiography Payton attributed this motto to Bob Hill his coach at Jackson State In practice this meant that Payton refused to deliberately run out of bounds and always delivered some punishment to his tacklers before being forced off the field or forced down 18 One of Payton s signature maneuvers was the stutter step a high stepping irregularly paced run He developed this as a way to distract his pursuers during long runs saying that it startled them into thinking and gave him some advantage over players who were actually faster runners 18 In his autobiography he likened the stutter step to a kind of option play when he was stutter stepping defenders would have to commit to a pursuit angle based upon whether they thought he would accelerate after the stutter step or cut he would read this angle and do the opposite of what the defender had committed to 1 He re invented the practice of stiff arming his tacklers which had gone out of favor among running backs in the 1970s 33 At times he used his high school experience as a long jumper to leap over his opponents landing on his head in the end zone to gain a touchdown in a game against the Buffalo Bills 34 His running gait was somewhat unusual as his knees were minimally bent and the motion was largely powered from the hip 35 This may have given his knees a football player s most vulnerable joints some protection although he underwent arthroscopic surgery on both knees in 1983 He referred to this procedure as an 11 000 yard checkup 35 After scoring touchdowns Payton declined to celebrate instead he would often hand the ball to his teammates or the official He disapproved of the growing practice of touchdown celebrations he preferred post game antics such as rushing into the locker room and locking his teammates out in the cold while taking a long shower 18 Although Payton would have won the respect of his peers and coaches by his running alone he retired as the career leader in receptions for a running back with 492 for over 4 500 yards 36 notes 4 and still holds the career record for a running back with 8 touchdown passes notes 5 Personal life EditThroughout his life Payton had claimed his date of birth as July 25 1954 a date which is cited in many of his early biographies 18 37 38 However while researching his biography of Payton Sports Illustrated s Jeff Pearlman discovered his actual date of birth to be July 25 1953 17 Pearlman found Payton s earliest use of the later date during his pursuit of the Heisman Trophy at Jackson State 17 Payton married Connie Norwood in 1976 During his rookie year he resided in a home on the north side of Arlington Heights Illinois The couple had two children Jarrett Payton born 1980 and Brittney Payton 1985 39 40 and resided in South Barrington Illinois Payton s marriage of 18 years came to an abrupt end when he unexpectedly served Norwood divorce papers for joint custody however despite not living together for most of the remainder of Payton s life the divorce was never made official 41 Payton was inducted as a laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois and awarded the Order of Lincoln by the governor of Illinois in 1987 in the area of sports 42 In 1988 he received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement 43 In 1987 Payton accidentally shot a manager of a nightclub in Schaumburg Illinois that was owned by Payton 44 Payton had recently bought the 9 mm French made Maurhin Pistolet for his collection and was unaware that it was loaded 44 The pistol which was described as a collector s handgun that was registered discharged while being handed to Payton by a third party while pointed at the nightclub manager Elmer Ray Hutson Jr Hutson suffered knee damage from the shooting 44 Payton battled with depression after his playing career 45 His agent Bud Holmes recalled Payton talked about committing suicide 45 His executive assistant Ginny Quirk also recounted a similar instance where Payton said You won t see me when you get to the office tomorrow Enjoy life without me 45 A Christian Payton attended the non denominational Destiny Church in Hoffman Estates Illinois in the years after retiring from football 46 Investments EditIn 1995 Payton along with many other investors sought to bring an NFL expansion team to St Louis Missouri and Payton expressed his interest in becoming the first minority owner in NFL history 27 Although the NFL strongly favored a franchise in St Louis their efforts were thwarted because of internal dissension among the investment group members 1 leading the NFL to award franchises to investment groups in Jacksonville Florida Jacksonville Jaguars and Charlotte North Carolina Carolina Panthers 47 St Louis eventually received a team when the Los Angeles Rams moved to the city in 1995 48 Payton pursued various business ventures in retirement including becoming co owner of Dale Coyne Racing in the CART IndyCar World Series He also drove in several Trans Am Series events including a 1993 race at Road America in which his car overturned and caught fire He suffered burns but escaped serious injury 49 In 1995 he and several partners purchased a roundhouse in Aurora Illinois that had previously belonged to the Chicago Burlington and Quincy Railroad The property became known as Walter Payton s Roundhouse hosting a restaurant brewery banquet and meeting facility and museum In 1999 the property received an award from the National Trust for Historic Preservation 50 The beers brewed at the Roundhouse received awards in the 2000s 51 In popular culture EditPayton appeared on a 1987 episode of Saturday Night Live co hosting with fellow football player Joe Montana 52 That same year he participated in Prince Edward of the United Kingdom s charity television special The Grand Knockout Tournament In 1994 he made an appearance at the World Wrestling Federation s SummerSlam event in the corner of Razor Ramon 53 Illness and death EditIn February 1999 Payton announced that he had a rare liver disease known as primary sclerosing cholangitis which may have led to his cholangiocarcinoma bile duct cancer He spent his final months as an advocate for organ transplants appearing in many commercials to encourage others to donate organs although by the time his first appeal was recorded his illness was already too far advanced for transplantation to have been a viable option 18 In April of that year Payton made a final public appearance at a Chicago Cubs game with Mike Ditka where he threw the game s ceremonial first pitch 54 55 Author Don Yaeger worked with him during the last weeks of his life to create his autobiography Never Die Easy 12 On November 1 1999 Payton died from the complications that arose from his illness 56 He was 46 years old During the same week the NFL held special ceremonies in each game to commemorate his career and legacy In addition the Chicago Bears wore special 34 patches on their jerseys to honor Payton 54 Speakers at Payton s public funeral service held in Soldier Field included then National Football League Commissioner Paul Tagliabue former teammate Dan Hampton his widow Connie Payton and his children Jarrett and Brittney 57 Among the 1 000 mourners at the private service were John Madden Illinois Governor George Ryan Chicago s mayor Richard M Daley former teammates Matt Suhey Mike Singletary Roland Harper and Jim McMahon the Bears equipment manager and building superintendent 58 Legacy Edit The Walter Payton Center at Halas Hall within the Chicago Bears HQ Payton s legacy continues through the charitable Walter and Connie Payton Foundation His own appeals and after his death his foundation s for greater awareness of the need for organ donations are widely credited with bringing national attention to the problem 59 After his appeals donations in Illinois skyrocketed and the regional organ bank of Illinois was overwhelmed with calls 60 In response the City of Chicago inserted organ donation requests into city vehicle registration mailings in early 2000 and by August 2000 13 000 people had signed on to the program 61 The foundation continues to run a program that Payton organized to donate toys to underprivileged children across the Chicago area each Christmas 15 The family established the Walter Payton Cancer Fund in 2002 62 Pro Football Focus founder Neil Hornsby in 2010 named Payton as the greatest player in NFL history 63 Many modern NFL running backs have cited Payton as a source of inspiration Emmitt Smith tearfully paid homage to Payton after breaking Payton s rushing record 64 LaDainian Tomlinson who set numerous records during the 2006 NFL season named Payton as one of his foremost mentors and inspirations 65 Ahman Green a former player for the Bears rival Green Bay Packers is said to have idolized Payton viewing the highlight film Pure Payton before each game 66 Walter s son Jarrett Payton was a running back for the Tennessee Titans NFL Europe s Amsterdam Admirals CFL s Montreal Alouettes and IFL s Chicago Slaughter During his tenure at the University of Miami Jarrett wore a 34 jersey to honor his father s memory 15 In 2009 Jarrett married on March 4 3 4 which was intentionally set to coincide with Payton s jersey number 67 The city of Chicago has honored Payton s memory in several ways In 1999 the city created a special city sticker that featured Payton The profits from the sales of these stickers along with the special license plate created by the State of Illinois are given to support organ donor programs across Illinois 68 Also the city named a magnet high school Walter Payton College Prep in his honor In September 2007 the University of Illinois at Chicago Medical Center opened the Walter Payton Liver Center after a generous donation from Payton s family who were pleased with the care he received there 69 Chicago Metra commuters have long been witness to a simple 34 Sweetness painted on a bridge piling of the Air Line on the south end of the Chicago Union Station yards The State of Illinois has named U S Route 34 in Illinois as the Walter Payton Memorial Highway 70 Until its sale to Two Brothers Brewing in 2011 Walter Payton s Roundhouse continued to draw hundreds of thousands of visitors annually to the Aurora Illinois site A plaque now hangs on the building commemorating Payton There are two athletic awards named after Payton The NCAA gives the Walter Payton Award to the best offensive player from a Division I FCS still often known by its former designation of Division I AA football team The NFL hands out the Walter Payton Man of the Year award for player achievements in community service during a particular season The wellness center at Jackson State University is also named in honor of him known as The Walter Payton Recreation and Wellness Center 71 72 The Chicago Bears honored Payton s career and life on November 1 2009 by airing a special tribute video during halftime The video consisted of highlight clips from Payton s career and interview segments from Mike Ditka Virginia McCaskey Richard Dent and many other members of the Bears organization Payton s wife daughter son and mother were present to watch the video which aired on Soldier Field s Jumbotron 73 The Bears later named their official indoor practice and training facility at Halas Hall in Lake Forest Illinois after Payton 74 After Payton s death Nickol Knoll Hill an old landfill site turned into a golf course in Arlington Heights Illinois was renamed Payton s Hill There are two plaques on the hill to remind visitors of the hill that it was where Payton used to train in the 1970s and 1980s Payton did his morning run at the hill every day Pictures and memorabilia of Payton cover the walls of the golf course clubhouse 75 The asteroid 85386 Payton discovered by the Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing observatory in 1996 is named in Payton s memory 76 The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 20 May 2008 M P C 62930 77 In September 2019 the Chicago Tribune named Payton the greatest Bears player of all time 78 NFL career statistics EditPayton was the NFL s all time leader in rushing yards and all purpose yards prior to the 2002 NFL season when Emmitt Smith broke his record Payton also held the rushing touchdown record until it was broken by Marcus Allen during the 1996 NFL season He also held the single game rushing record until the 2000 NFL season when it was broken by Corey Dillon Payton led the league in rushing yards and touchdowns in the 1977 NFL season Also he was among the top ten players for rushing attempts during his entire career including 1976 1977 and 1978 and led the category in 1979 As of 2022 update he is the NFL s second all time leading rusher and he is ranked fifth in rushing touchdowns scored 79 Along with Frank Gifford Payton threw six interceptions more than any other non quarterback position in NFL history 80 He also passed for eight touchdowns which is second to Gifford 14 for non quarterbacks 81 82 83 LegendAP NFL MVP amp OPOTYWon the Super BowlLed the leagueBold Career highRegular season Edit Year Team GP Rushing Receiving All pps yds PassingAtt Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Yds TD1975 CHI 13 196 679 3 5 54T 7 33 213 6 5 40 0 892 0 01976 CHI 14 311 1 390 4 5 60 13 15 149 9 9 34 0 1 539 0 01977 CHI 14 339 1 852 5 5 73 14 27 269 10 0 75T 2 2 121 0 01978 CHI 16 333 1 395 4 2 76 11 50 480 9 6 61 0 1 875 0 01979 CHI 16 369 1 610 4 4 43T 14 31 313 10 1 65T 2 1 923 54 11980 CHI 16 317 1 460 4 6 69T 6 46 367 8 0 54T 1 1 827 0 01981 CHI 16 339 1 222 3 6 39 6 41 379 9 2 30 2 1 601 0 01982 CHI 9 148 596 4 0 26 1 32 311 9 7 40 0 907 39 11983 CHI 16 314 1 421 4 5 49T 6 53 607 11 5 74T 2 2 028 95 31984 CHI 16 381 1 684 4 4 72T 11 45 368 8 2 31 0 2 052 47 21985 CHI 16 324 1 551 4 8 40T 9 49 483 9 9 65 2 2 034 96 11986 CHI 16 321 1 333 4 2 41 8 37 382 10 3 57 3 1 715 0 01987 CHI 12 146 533 3 7 17 4 33 217 6 6 16 1 750 0 0Career 190 3 838 16 726 4 4 76 110 492 4 538 9 2 75 15 21 264 331 8Postseason Edit Year Team GP Rushing Receiving All pps yds PassingAtt Yds Avg Lng TD Rec Yds Avg Lng TD Yds TD1977 CHI 1 19 60 3 2 11 0 3 33 11 0 20 0 93 0 01979 CHI 1 16 67 4 2 12 2 3 52 17 3 31 0 119 0 01984 CHI 2 46 196 4 3 20 0 4 23 5 8 12 0 219 19 11985 CHI 3 67 186 2 8 12 0 8 52 6 5 19 0 238 0 01986 CHI 1 14 38 2 7 9 0 1 2 2 0 2 0 36 0 01987 CHI 1 18 85 4 7 16 0 3 20 6 7 9 0 105 0 0Career 9 180 632 3 5 20 2 22 178 8 1 31 0 810 19 1 NFL Record at time of retirement Bears franchise records Edit Most rush attempts career 3 838 Most rush attempts season 381 1984 Most rush attempts game 40 1977 11 20 MIN Most rush attempts playoff career 180 Most rush attempts playoff season 67 1985 Most rush attempts playoff game 27 1986 01 05 NYG tied with Neal Anderson Most rush yards career 16 726 Most rush yards season 1 852 1977 Most rush yards game 275 1977 11 20 MIN Most rush yards playoff career 632 Most rushing TDs career 110 Most rushing TDs season 14 1977 and 1979 tied with Gale Sayers Most rushing TDs playoff game 2 1979 12 23 PHI tied with Thomas Jones twice Most rush yds game career 88 0 Most rush yds game season 132 3 1977 Most receptions career 492 Most receptions playoff career 22 Most total TDs career 125 Most yds from scrimmage career 21 264 Most yds from scrimmage season 2 121 1977 Most yds from scrimmage playoff career 810 Most all purpose yds career 21 803 Most all purpose yds playoff career 867 Most 100 yard rushing games career 78 Most 100 yard rushing games season 10 1977 1984 and 1985 Most games with 1 TD scored career 89 Most games with 2 TD scored career 32 Most games with 2 TD scored season 6 1977 and 1979 Most games with 3 TD scored career 6 Most games with 3 TD scored season 2 1977 and 1979 tied with Gale Sayers Neal Anderson and Matt Forte Most seasons with 1000 rushing yards career 10NFL records EditConsecutive regular season starts by a running back 170 from December 7 1975 to September 20 1987 84 Most consecutive seasons leading the league in rushing attempts 4 tied 1976 1979 79 Games with 100 or more yards from scrimmage gained career 108 85 Passing touchdowns by a non quarterback since merger 8 86 Explanatory notes Edit a b Although most sources at the time of his death gave Payton s birth year as 1954 reliable sources subsequently state he was born in 1953 65 rushing touchdowns is not an official NCAA record as individual scoring records are not officially recognized As of 2015 update second only to William Arnold s 346 see Media Guide Archived October 23 2020 at the Wayback Machine p 57 See list for 1920 1987 min 1000 career rush attempts at pro football reference com See running backs with 4 passing TDs at pro football reference com max 200 pass attempts Notes Edit 178 including playoffsReferences Edit a b c Lichtenstein Walter October 15 2000 Never Die Easy The Autobiography of Walter Payton The New York Times Retrieved February 18 2017 Pierson Don 1999 11 02 CHICAGO S SWEETNESS DIES OF CANCER AT 45 Chicago Tribune Retrieved 2022 01 30 Litsky Frank 1999 11 02 Walter Payton Extraordinary Running Back for Chicago Bears Dies at 45 New York Times Retrieved 2022 01 30 Wharton David Springer Steve 1999 11 02 Football Great Walter Payton Dies at 45 Los Angeles Times Retrieved 2022 01 30 Reviewing Sweetness The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton Chicago Bears Huddle 2011 11 08 Retrieved 2022 01 30 Pearlman Jeff 2011 10 31 Walter Payton Human being CNN Retrieved 2022 01 30 Walter Payton College Football Hall of Fame College Football Hall of Fame 2016 02 18 Retrieved 2022 01 30 a b Walter Payton The Chicago Bears Archived from the original on March 13 2017 Retrieved February 18 2017 PAYTON S HOMETOWN A BITTER PLACE IN THE HEART Chicago Tribune Retrieved 2022 08 17 Walter Payton A Football Life retrieved 2022 08 17 a b AT A GLANCE Payton Walter Oxford African American Studies Center Retrieved February 4 2010 a b c d e Litsky Frank November 2 1999 Walter Payton Extraordinary Running Back for Chicago Bears Dies at 45 The New York Times Retrieved February 18 2017 a b Walter Payton Encyclopedia com 2005 Retrieved February 10 2016 a b c d e f g Walter Payton Biography Payton34 org Walter Payton Cancer Fund Archived from the original on March 16 2008 Retrieved February 19 2017 Payton34 com Walter Payton Biography Retrieved on May 16 2007 a b c d e f g h i j Taylor Roy 2002 Walter Payton Bears RB 1975 1987 Chicago Bears History Archived from the original on April 12 2022 Retrieved February 18 2017 Walter Payton always at home in bronze sculpture Chicago Tribune September 11 2009 Retrieved February 4 2010 a b c Pearlman Jeff 2011 Sweetness The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton Penguin Books Ltd p 110 ISBN 978 1592407378 a b c d e f g Walter Payton Don Yaeger 2001 Never Die Easy Random House ISBN 0 375 75821 6 Jackson State Football 2015 Informational Guide PDF Jackson State University 2015 p 51 Archived from the original PDF on October 23 2020 Retrieved February 19 2017 Rielly Edward J 2009 Football An Encyclopedia of Popular Culture U of Nebraska Press p 266 ISBN 978 0803226302 Walter Payton African American World PBS 2002 Archived from the original on February 8 2008 Retrieved February 19 2017 Payton Rice among 11 set for Black Hall ESPN January 18 2010 Retrieved January 18 2010 2010 Inductees Black College Football Hall of Fame Retrieved February 17 2017 SWAC round up Natchez News Leader Natchez Miss October 1 1972 p 3b Retrieved January 16 2013 Mayer Larry 2021 Top 10 Bears who switched jersey numbers Chicago Bears Retrieved 2023 02 10 Taylor Roy 2005 1970 s Chicago Bears Peaks amp Valleys Chicago Bears History Retrieved February 19 2017 a b A Football Life Walter Payton Premiered on NFL Network October 13 2011 Walter Payton Pro Football Reference Sports Reference LLC Retrieved August 4 2012 Payton Runs All Over The Place Sports Illustrated November 28 1977 Archived from the original on December 24 2013 Retrieved January 7 2010 Powell Camille June 14 2005 R Ryan Takes Baltimore Defense Back to 86 With the 46 Washington Post Retrieved February 18 2017 Pearlman Jeff November 16 2010 The Bottom 100 The Worst Players In NFL History Part 2 Deadspin Retrieved February 18 2017 Taylor Roy 2014 1985 Chicago Bears World Champions Again Chicago Bears History Retrieved February 19 2017 Brown Payton delivered the pain Pro Football Weekly 2007 dead link Wilbon Michael November 2 1999 Sweetness Till the Bitter End Washington Post Retrieved February 18 2017 a b Silverman Steve August 1 1993 Main ingredient in Sweetness was heart Pro Football Weekly Archived from the original on February 12 2009 Retrieved February 19 2017 Running Back Sweetness Walter Payton Pro Football Hall of Fame Retrieved August 4 2012 Payton Connie Payton Jarrett Payton Brittany 2005 Payton Rugged Land ISBN 978 1590710562 Towle Mike 2005 Walter Payton Football s Sweetest Superstar Cumberland House Publishing ISBN 978 1581824766 Gillespie Mary 1985 10 20 1985 Bears Coverage Connie Payton says she s ready now for a little recognition of her own Chicago Sun Times Retrieved 2022 09 29 Jarrett Payton NFL Retrieved November 2 2009 Book Walter Payton abused drugs cheated on wife Chicago Tribune Retrieved 2022 09 26 The Honor Roll of Laureates The Lincoln Academy of Illinois Retrieved February 18 2017 Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement www achievement org American Academy of Achievement a b c Johnson Steve Ibata David April 14 1988 Employee of Payton s is Wounded Chicago Tribune Retrieved August 5 2021 a b c Book Bears Payton used drugs talked suicide ESPN com 2011 09 28 Retrieved 2022 08 17 Daily Herald Remembering Walter Payton Attner Paul August 2 1993 Q amp A Hall of Fame eve Sporting News Archived from the original on January 7 2011 Retrieved February 19 2017 Simers T J April 13 1995 NFL Owners OK Rams Move to St Louis Los Angeles Times Retrieved December 22 2013 SPORTS PEOPLE AUTO RACING Payton Escapes Serious Injury in Crash The New York Times August 21 1993 Retrieved December 4 2012 Robin Shepard 2003 The Best Breweries and Brewpubs of Illinois Searching for the Perfect Pint University of Wisconsin Press p 3 ISBN 978 0 299 18894 8 America s Brewing Company Walter Payton s Roundhouse 2006 Archived from the original on August 28 2009 Retrieved December 20 2009 Reilly Dan 29 January 2020 Pro Athletes on SNL The 13 Best Sketches Vulture Retrieved 29 June 2021 Gomez Luis 29 August 2018 Walter Payton teamed up with Razor Ramon 20 years ago today Chicago Tribune Retrieved 29 June 2021 a b Payton dead at 45 Archived from the original on December 29 2006 NFL s all time leading rusher dies at 45 ESPN November 6 1999 Litsky Frank November 2 1999 Walter Payton Extraordinary Running Back for Chicago Bears Dies at 45 The New York Times Chicagoans Bid Payton Fond Farewell At Soldier Field The New York Times November 7 1999 Retrieved February 18 2017 Imrem Mike 1999 Walter Payton Faith family fellowship Daily Herald Archived from the original on December 22 2004 Retrieved February 19 2017 Levin Joins Senate Colleagues NFL Players to Promote Organ and Tissue Donation Press release Carl Levin United States Senator October 5 2000 Archived from the original on December 1 2008 Jennings death puts lung cancer in the public eye ABC 2005 Jesse White Unveils New Organ Donor License Plate Press release Illinois Secretary of State August 9 2000 Archived from the original on November 22 2008 Research Payton34 org Walter Payton Cancer Fund Archived from the original on January 26 2010 Retrieved February 19 2017 Comey Jonathan 2010 08 25 Five Questions with Neil Hornsby PFF News amp Analysis Pro Football Focus Archived from the original on August 13 2022 Retrieved 2020 09 23 Schwartz Kris ESPN Classic Emmitt gives new meaning to Sweetness static espn go com Archived from the original on April 6 2022 Retrieved 2022 08 14 Neel Eric December 14 2006 IS LT the best ever ESPN Page 2 Archived from the original on October 18 2021 Retrieved February 18 2017 RB Ahman Green Packers com 2008 Archived from the original on May 3 2010 Retrieved February 19 2017 Mitchell Fred June 21 2009 Jarrett Payton on his dad Walter He would be so proud Chicago Tribune Retrieved August 4 2012 Secretary of State White Joins City Clerk Laski to Increase Organ Donor Participation Illinois Press release Chicago Illinois Secretary of State August 25 2004 Archived from the original on November 22 2008 Secretary of State White Joins City Clerk Laski to Increase Organ Donor Participation Illinois Archived March 7 2005 at the Wayback Machine Walter Payton Liver Center opens at UIC ABC7Chicago com September 5 2007 Steve Lord 2016 12 14 Route 34 railroad overpass opens in Aurora Chicago Tribune Retrieved 2022 06 04 PHOTOS Walter Payton and namesake recreation and wellness center Clarion Ledger 2019 10 16 Retrieved 2022 06 04 Jackson State opens building named for Payton ESPN Associated Press 2006 02 17 Retrieved 2022 06 04 Mayer Larry November 2 2009 Emotional video tribute highlights Payton ceremony chicagobears com Archived from the original on November 5 2009 Retrieved November 2 2009 Papa Bear would approve Chicago Bears unveil Halas Hall expansion REjournals 2019 08 30 Retrieved 2022 12 03 Tatum Christine 2000 01 12 NOW AND FOREVER IT S PAYTON S HILL Chicago Tribune Retrieved 2022 06 04 85386 Payton 1996 OU2 2001 TP118 Minor Planet Center Retrieved 20 January 2020 MPC MPO MPS Archive Minor Planet Center Retrieved 20 January 2020 Larkin Will September 5 2019 Ranking the 100 best Bears players ever No 1 Walter Payton Chicago Tribune Retrieved August 5 2021 a b Signora Michael Gilbert Zak Drexler Sam Enos Cody Ray Dalton eds 2022 Official 2022 National Football League Record amp Fact Book PDF New York National Football League p 623 Archived from the original PDF on July 21 2022 Non Quarterback Passing Pro Football Reference Retrieved August 4 2012 Reiss Mike September 16 2007 ETC The Boston Globe Archived from the original on June 19 2014 Retrieved November 13 2012 Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson has thrown seven career touchdown passes leaving him one shy of tying Walter Payton s NFL record for non quarterbacks via HighBeam Research subscription required Dudley John November 2 2005 The throwback running back coldhardfootballfacts com Archived from the original on January 15 2013 Non Quarterback Passing Pro Football Reference Retrieved February 19 2017 Walker Teresa 2004 07 19 George rejects Titans latest offer asks for release The San Diego Union Tribune Archived from the original on 2004 08 14 Retrieved 2021 06 26 Most 100 Scrimmage Yards Games in a Career StatMuse Non Quarterback Passing ProFootballReference com Further reading EditTelander Rick November 1 2012 13 years later Walter Payton s legend lives on Chicago Sun Times Retrieved November 1 2012 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Walter Payton American football Career statistics and player information from NFL com Pro Football Reference Payton34 com the Walter and Connie Payton Foundation Walter Payton Cancer Fund Walter Payton Liver Center at the University of Illinois Medical Center at Chicago Walter Payton tribute page at the Chicago Bears Walter Payton at IMDb Works by or about Walter Payton in libraries WorldCat catalog Walter Payton collected news and commentary at The New York TimesRecordsPreceded byJim Brown NFL career rushing yards leader1984 2002 Succeeded byEmmitt SmithPreceded byO J Simpson NFL single game rushing recordNovember 20 1977 October 22 2000 Succeeded byCorey Dillon Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Walter Payton amp oldid 1142693640, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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