Saturday, 23 November 2024

Walter Payton

Contest: The US Athletic Hall of Fame - Athletes 2024
Embed from Getty Images
Sport(s): Football
Statistics: 1 Super Bowl (XX)
1 MVP (1977)
1 Bert Bell Award (1985)
1 Offensive Player of the Year (1977)
1 Man of the Year Award (1977)
5 First Team All-Pro Selections (1976, 1977, 1980, 1984 & 1985)
9 Pro Bowls (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985 & 1986)
1 Rushing Title (1977)
1-Time Rushing Touchdowns Leader (1977)
16,726 NFL Rushing Yards
4,538 NFL Receiving Yards
125 NFL Touchdowns
Member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Number retired by the Chicago Bears
Named to the 1970s All-Decade Team
Named to the 1980s All-Decade Team
Named to the NFL 75th Anniversary Team
Named to the NFL 100th Anniversary Team
A Chicago Bear for his entire professional playing career, Walter Payton would be the one to eclipse Jim Brown’s rushing record, and he for a time, he was the all-time leader in rushing yards (16,726) and all-purpose yards (21,264).

Payton would rush for at least 1,200 yards nine times, making both the 1970s and 1980s All-Decade Teams. A beloved player, Payton was always giving back to the community, winning the Man of the Year Award in 1977, which was the same season as his MVP.

He died young at 45, falling victim to a rare liver disease. The NFL would rename an accolade he once won, the Man of the Year Award, the Walter Payton Man of the Year.

Perhaps the best way to describe Payton is a quote from his former coach, Mike Ditka, who told him as "the greatest player he had ever seen, but even greater as a human being."

We are proud to nominate Walter Payton for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.

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