Well I've been watching Payton highlight movies all night. I still say he was the best football player ever. random Payton info:
Season Team G Att Yds TD Avg Rec Yds TD Avg
1975 Chicago 13 196 679 7 3.5 33 213 0 6.5
1976 Chicago 14 311 1390 13 4.5 15 149 0 9.9
1977 Chicago 14 339 1852 14 5.5 27 269 2 10.0
1978 Chicago 16 333 1395 11 4.2 50 480 0 9.6
1979 Chicago 16 369 1610 14 4.4 31 313 2 10.1
1980 Chicago 16 317 1460 6 4.6 46 367 1 8.0
1981 Chicago 16 339 1222 6 3.6 41 379 2 9.2
1982 Chicago 9 148 596 1 4.0 32 311 0 9.7
1983 Chicago 16 314 1421 6 4.5 53 607 2 11.5
1984 Chicago 16 381 1684 11 4.4 45 368 0 8.2
1985 Chicago 16 324 1551 9 4.8 49 483 2 9.9
1986 Chicago 16 321 1333 8 4.2 37 382 3 10.3
1987 Chicago 12 146 533 4 3.7 33 217 1 6.6
13 NFL Seasons 190 3838 16726 110 4.4 492 4538 15 9.2
Post Season 9 180 632 2 3.5 22 178 0 8.1
(Passing TDs: 1979-1 1982-1 1983-3 1984-2 1985-1)
"Walter Payton's physical style of play made his durability an incredible accomplishment. He missed just one game his entire thirteen-year NFL career, which can be credited to his fantastic physical conditioning and work ethic. He didn't work out with his teammates in the off-season, but he always came into training camp in better shape than anyone else. He had a very disciplined training regiment that included running steep hills located near his home. No doubt this type of training helped develop the leg strength and quick burst that helped him break away from defenders.
Walter Payton was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1975 out of Jackson State. He ran for 679 yards his rookie year and at least 1200 yards in ten out of the next eleven seasons. In 1977 he had a career high of 1852 yards with his average yards per carry at 5.5. He also scored fourteen touchdowns.
He finished his career as the all-time leading NFL rusher with 16,726 yards on 3,838 attempts. He had 492 receptions for 4,538 yards, giving him him a total of 21,803 combined net yards. He also scored 125 touchdowns, 110 of which were rushing. He was voted MVP in 1977 and again in 1985 when the Bears won the Super Bowl. He was named All-Pro seven times and played in the Pro Bowl nine times. He held the single-game rushing record of 275 yards (Corey Dillon rushed for 278 in 2001) and has rushed for 100 yards in a game 77 times. He rushed for over 1,000 yards in a season ten times. He was also named to the NFL's Seventy-Fifth Anniversary Team... and the list of accomplishments goes on and on.
You could make an argument for Walter Payton as the greatest player to play the game of football, but he was also a great person. He played for the love of the game and he gave it everything he had every Sunday. His premature death left a gaping hole on the Bear's sideline and in the broadcast booth, but I will never forget the great memories he has given to me and to all football fans. " - http://www.football.about.com/librar...terpayton2.htm
# Born July 25, 1954, in Columbia, Miss. Died in Nov 1 1999 (bears got theres asses kicked by green bay in that weeks game.) he was 45. died os liver cancer 1 week after he announced it.
# Height, 5-10. Weight, 202.
# Brother of Eddie Payton, former NFL and CFL player. (wide reciver
# Drafted by Bears in first round (fourth overall) in 1975.
# Former NFL record holder for rushing yards, career (16,726).
# Holds three NFL rushing records, including attempts (3,838); yards, game (275 vs. Minnesota, 1977); games with 100 yards or more, career (77).
# Holds NFL record for most combined attempts, career (4,368) and combined yards, career (21,803).
# Shares NFL record for years with 1,000 yards or more (10, 1976-81, 83-86).
# Shares NFL record for consecutive years leading league in attempts (4, 1976-79).
# Scored 125 touchdowns in NFL career, 110 of them rushing.
# Named NFL Player of the Year (1977 and 1985).
# Named NFL Offensive Player of the Year (1977).
# Named NFC Player of the Year by The Sporting News (1976, 1977).
# Voted to nine Pro Bowls (1976, 1978-81, 1984-87).
# Elected to Hall of Fame (1993).
I still say he would dominate in today's NFL.
He missed 1 game in 13 seasons.
in his first NFL game he rushed for 0 yards on 8 carries.
Didn't play until his jr year in high school. (11th year)
played D2 NCAA.
Payton played college football at Jackson State, where he set nine school records, scored 66 touchdowns and rushed for 3,563 yards. He once scored 46 points in one game.
He led the nation in scoring in 1973 with 160 points, and his 464 career points was an NCAA record. He finished fourth in voting for the Heisman Trophy in 1974, and was drafted fourth overall by the Bears.
He retired after the 1987 season, and the Bears immediately retired No. 34. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1993, his first year of eligibility.
amazing. <3 #34 I'm getting his home hersey (authentic of course) for christmas a good espn article from just after his death right here: http://espn.go.com/nfl/news/1999/1031/144491.html