Walter Payton

Walter Payton, the Pro Football Hall of Fame running back of the Chicago Bears, was born July 25, 1954, in Columbia, Mississippi. The Jackson State product was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame 1999 class.

Walter ran on the Jackson State gridiron from 1971 through 1974 and was the key cog in the offense. According to FootballFoundation.org, Sweetness finished his career at Jackson State with 464 points and 3,563 yards rushing. The point total was a modern record for college football. He averaged 6.1 yards per carry for four years.

Walter is remembered at the collegiate level today, as he was honored in 1987 with the founding of the Walter Payton Award, which is presented each year to the leading player in Division I-AA football. Payton was a great player who worked hard and was known for his outstanding runs. He was the NFL’s all-time leading rusher until Emmitt Smith surpassed him. In just 13 seasons, Payton rushed for 16,726 yards, hauled in 492 passes, and scored 125 touchdowns, per the ProFootballHOF.com website.

We honor this great player and human who had an untimely death in 1999 at the age of 45 due to a rare disease. Please see our story on “Sweetness” here, Walter Payton.