Walter Payton

Biography

Walter Payton ran like every carry might be his last. The nickname "Sweetness" seemed ironic given the punishment he inflicted on defenders, but it captured something essential about how he played - with joy, with creativity, with an almost balletic grace. He refused to run out of bounds when he could deliver a hit instead. He would leap over linemen, stiff-arm cornerbacks into next week, and somehow end up falling forward for extra yards. The 16,726 rushing yards stood as the NFL record until Emmitt Smith passed him, but Payton did it on mostly mediocre Bears teams. The 1985 Super Bowl season, with perhaps the greatest defense ever, finally gave him the team success his individual brilliance deserved. His death from a rare liver disease at 45 cut short a post-football life of generosity.

Career Highlights

• 1 Super Bowl Championship
• NFL MVP (1977)
• 16,726 rushing yards
• 9x Pro Bowl selection
• Known for refusing to run out of bounds

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