On July 25, 1954 Walter Jerry Payton was born. He was raised in Columbia, Mississippi. His nickname was Sweetness. For high school he attended Columbia High school
After attending Jackson State University, he was signed to the Chicago Bears for a running back position. While he was with Chicago, he appeared in the Pro Bowl 9 times. He also won the MVP three times. He went to the Super Bowl in 1985 over-powering the New England Patriots 46-10.
He averaged 4.4 yards a carry, scored 110 touchdowns, rushed for 16,726 yards, and started approximately 184 games. He played 13 seasons and only missed one game. Pretty amazing!
Mike Ditka once said, “he’s a great player on the field but is an even greater person off the field.”
The Bears were probably the best team in the NFL back in the 80’s. Nowadays the Patriots are the best team in the NFL, but the Bears have a solid offense. Walter retired in 1987.
After retiring, he made the Halas Payton Foundation in 1988 which helps kids in Chicago.
While he was running the Halas P. Foundation, he struggled with a unique liver disease called cholangitis for many months. Sadly, on November 1, 1999, Walter Payton died, age 45 from cholangiocarcinoma.
He received the Walter Payton award. His life raised awareness of the need for organ donations. He is known as the one of the best running backs in NFL history.
