Today would have been Walter Payton's 55th birthday. He, in case you didn't know, is the
GREATEST RUNNING BACK OF ALL TIME! Just ask my family, the know. But the thing about him, he was a great person. He was humble. Always. He made the ultimate sacrifice. He died of a rare liver disease. He was elgible for a life saving liver transplant. Payton had been given a chance to receive a liver, but declined saying that if he received the liver he would be taking away someone else's life. He died waiting for his turn. Here are some cool things:
He played his entire professional career with the same team: The Chicago Bears.
His nickname, "Sweetness", was given to him in college in honor of the way he ran and played the game.
He was a track star in high school. He was all state in the long jump. He didn't play football until he was a junior, because he didn't want to compete against his older brother, Eddie. After Eddie graduated, the coach begged him to play, so he did.
Made the NFL Pro Bowl 9 times in 12 years; not once did he refuse.
Won the NFL MVP award twice.
His induction speech into the NFL Hall of Fame was delivered by his son Jarrett.
He graduated in 1975 with a Bachelor's degree in communication. This, during a time, where few athletes actually completed a degree.
During his career, Payton had received additional accolades for his exploits as a blocker, receiver, emergency punter, and quarterback.
He performed with his teammates to record the
Super Bowl Shuffle. It climbed the charts and stopped at # 41. It was stopped on purpose so it would not break the top 40, thus not being played nationally on the top 40 shows. Although some found the lyrics boastful, profits from the song and its accompanying video were given to charity, backing Payton's claim that the they are "not doing it because we're greedy, the Bears are doing it to feed the needy."
In 1985, The Bears went on to a 15-1 record that culminated in a 46-10 victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX. Although Payton's offensive prowess had assisted the Bears throughout the 1985 season, the New England Patriots prevented him from reaching the end zone. According to quarterback Jim McMahon, he was targeted by two or three defensive Patriots during each play. In a later interview, Ditka stated that Payton's lack of a touchdown in this game was one of his major regrets.
Over his entire career, Payton rushed for 16,726 yards and scored 110 touchdowns. Also, he caught 492 passes for 4,538 yards and 15 touchdowns.
His jersey number was retired by the Bears.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993.
The only game he missed in his 13-year career came in his rookie season of 1975. His ankle was injured, and an assistant coach held him out of play; the miss rankled Payton for years afterwards.
Payton's motto was Never Die Easy. His autobiography, bears the same name.
One of Payton's signature maneuvers was the "stutter-step."
He revived the practice of stiff-arming.
After scoring a touchdown, Payton declined to celebrate; instead, he would often hand the ball to his teammates.
He disapproved of the growing practice of touchdown celebrations; he preferred post-game antics such as rushing into the locker room and locking his fellow teammates out in the cold while taking a long shower.
In 1996, he founded "Walter Payton's Roundhouse," a restaurant that also hosts a museum of Walter's sports memorabilia. He was interested in cooking, often making meals for friends.
He was an avid chess player.
He was known for making practical jokes, including untying referees' shoelaces during pileups, setting off firecrackers at unexpected moments, taking calls at the Bears' switchboard, and calling his friends' wives pretending to be their girlfriends.
Payton spent his final months as an advocate for organ transplants, appearing in many commercials to encourage others to donate organs.
Payton's legacy continues through the charitable
Walter and Connie Payton Foundation. His own appeals—and after his death, his foundation's—for greater awareness of the need for organ donations are widely credited with bringing national attention to the problem.
Many modern NFL running backs have cited Payton as a source of inspiration.
Emmitt Smith tearfully paid homage to Payton after breaking Payton’s rushing record.
LaDainian Tomlinson, named Payton as one of his foremost mentors and inspirations.
Ahman Green, a former player for the Bears' rival Green Bay Packers is said to have idolized Payton, viewing the highlight film "Pure Payton" before each game.
Walter's son, Jarrett Payton, was a running back for the Tennessee Titans.
On November 1, 1999, Payton died from the complications that arose from his illness.
