- Born
- Died
- Birth nameWalter Jerry Payton
- Nickname
- Sweetness
- Height5′ 10″ (1.78 m)
- Walter Payton, nicknamed "Sweetness, " is 2nd on the NFL's All time rushing list. His playing career lasted from 1975 to 1987. In those years, he amassed 16,026 rushing yards. He made a few appearances on television (as a guest star), but he was known as a profoundly personal man.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Anonymous
- Walter Payton is an American professional football player who was a running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons. Payton was known around the NFL as 'Sweetness'. A nine-time Pro Bowl selectee, 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. He was also versatile, and retired with the most receptions by a non-receiver, and had eight career touchdown passes. 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. 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.
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.- IMDb Mini Biography By: Tango Papa
- SpouseConnie Payton(July 7, 1976 - November 1, 1999) (his death, 2 children)
- Children
- ParentsPeter Payton
- RelativesEddie Payton(Sibling)
- Was not allowed to play football until his junior year of high school.
- Before death, he was a spokesperson for organ donation, even though an organ donation could have done nothing at that time to save his life.
- When brother Eddie Payton (who also played in the NFL) was asked how it felt to be the brother of a star, he replied, "I don't know. You better go ask Walter!".
- Appeared on "Soul Train" while in High School.
- Voted NFL Player of the Century.
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