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Walter Payton
Walter Payton, 1987.
Walter Payton
American football player
Also known as: Sweetness, Walter Jerry Payton
Quick Facts
- In full:
- Walter Jerry Payton
- Byname:
- Sweetness
- Born:
- July 25, 1954, Columbia, Mississippi, U.S.
- Died:
- November 1, 1999, Barrington, Illinois (aged 45)
- Awards And Honors:
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (1993)
- Pro Football Hall of Fame (inducted 1993)
- 1 Super Bowl championship
- 1 NFL Most Valuable Player award
- 5 All-Pro selections
- 9 Pro Bowl selections
- 1977 Associated Press NFL Offensive Player of the Year
- 1985 Bert Bell Award (Player of the Year)
- 1977 Walter Payton Man of the Year
- Education:
- Jackson State University
- Height/Weight:
- 5 ft 10 inches, 200 lb (1.78 m, 90 kg)
- Position:
- running back
- Jersey Number:
- 34 (Chicago Bears, 1975–1987)
- Draft:
- Drafted by the Chicago Bears in the first round (fourth overall) of the 1975 NFL draft.
- Games Played:
- 190
- Rushing Attempts:
- 3838
- Touchdowns:
- 110
- Yards Gained By Passing:
- 16726
- Yards Per Attempt:
- 4.4
Walter Payton (born July 25, 1954, Columbia, Mississippi, U.S.—died November 1, 1999, Barrington, Illinois) was an American professional gridiron football player whose productivity and durability made him one of the game’s greatest running backs. He retired in 1987 as the leading rusher in the history of the National Football League (NFL), a title he held until 2002, when he was surpassed by Emmitt Smith. Payton played football in high school and at Jackson State University in Mississippi. It was during his college years that he gained the sobriquet “Sweetness” for his affable personality and graceful athleticism. In addition to his ...(100 of 392 words)