Pro Football Hall of Fame 1st team All-1970s Team. 1977 NFL Sporting News Player of the Year. It was originally called the NFL Man of the Year Award until 1999 when the league decided to honor the 1977 winner of the award forever. In 13 seasons in the Windy City, he rushed for 16,726 yards, a record that stood until 2002 when it was broken by Emmitt Smith. Payton, a nine-time Pro Bowl selectee, once held the . He married the former Trisha George on March 4, 2009 in Florida. Walter Payton's career. Height: 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) 1977 NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year. Walter Payton died from complications from an autoimmune liver disease called primary sclerosing cholangitis and cholangiocarcinoma in November 1999. . Walter Payton retired following the 1987 season. Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1954 - November 1, 1999) was an American professional football player who was a running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL). MVP. Jarrett Walter Payton (born December 26, 1980) is a former American football running back. The Bears officially retired his jersey when he quit football on January 10, 1988. Date of Birth: Jul 25, 1954 - Nov 1, 1999 (45 years old) Gender: Male. At New Orleans, Payton ripped off perhaps the best touchdown run of his career, finishing with 134 yards on 20 carries, the Bears' best rushing performance since Sayers resided in Chicago. 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. He left the game with 10 1,000-yard rushing seasons, and 77 100-yard games. Payton chose 33 when he played with the Titans because #34 was retired in honor of Earl Campbell. His jersey No. Walter Payton was a famous running back for the NFL's Chicago Bears. 1985 NFL Bert Bell Award (Player of the Year) 1985 NFL UPI Offensive Player of the Year. Walter Payton, #34 of the Chicago Bears, signs autographs during training camp in 1987 . Did Walter Payton ever kick a field goal? Assoc. 1985 NFL Newspaper Ent. Simpson''s single-game rushing record of 273 yards. . At the time of his retirement in 1987, Sweetness held the records for most career rushing yards, carries, touchdowns, yards from scrimmage . Unlike other players, Walter Payton refused to celebrate or cheer on the field after scoring a touchdown. He was born in Columbia, Mississippi on July 25, 1953 to Peter and Alyne . Eddie and Pam Payton know far more. . Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". It was originally called the NFL Man of the Year Award until 1999 when the league decided to honor the 1977 winner of the award forever. He had set several team . He retired in 1987 and was, at the . At the end of the 1987 regular season, Walter Payton announced his retirement from the game. Payton retired miles ahead of his peers in rushing yards, but he logged an astounding touch total (4,330) in his 13-year career. Not only did he put the Bears in scoring position but also put him within five yards of O.J. They called him Sweetness, but Chicago Bears great Walter Payton had a dark side, according to a biography to be released Oct. 4. . When he retired after the 1987 season, Payton found himself searching for meaning in places where no . The wedding date . To some he represented the blue collar, hardworking. Walter Payton will go down as one of the best running backs to play in the NFL and the best running back in Chicago Bears franchise history. When he retired, he held the record for most yards rushed by any NFL player in history, i.e. In the original version of this story, I did not know the actual date of Walter Payton's jersey retirement, and instead estimated it . Payton, who retired after the 1987 season as the then-all-time . Sports author Jeff Pearlman 's book . Instead, he earned the nickname "Sweetness" during a college practice when he eluded a tackler and shouted back, "sweetness is your weakness". The work Payton did in the community, and the impact his work still has today, is the reason the NFL now gives the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award to the player who best embodied the legacy of Payton with charity and volunteer work. Although we know this, it's hard to fathom other players wearing a jersey we associate with a great player. Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1954 - November 1, 1999) was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons. Payton played football in high school and at Jackson State University in Mississippi. . Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". One of the game's true icons, a player so esteemed that the NFL's Man of the Year Award bears his name, Walter Payton retired in 1988 as pro football's alltime leading rusher. He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football. Payton was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996. Walter Payton. Walter Payton, 34retired Dec. 20, 1987; George Halas, . Instead, he just handed the ball to an official or another player and moved on. Walter Payton Biography - Walter Payton was an American footballer who played for the Chicago Bears. I should point out that the 1977 season featured a 14-game schedule. He was described by his coach Mike Ditka as one of the greatest football players he had ever seen. You remember Walter Payton, sad that he was taken so young at age 45, on Nov. 1, 1999, and you lament the good he would have done with his life had he not been stricken. His Legacy Chicago went into full-scale mourning that Monday evening, a grieving that lasted the entire week. But even to those closest to him, he had always been an enigma, and in his final years the mysteries deepened. . The closest player from Payton's era to that mark, Tony Dorsett . During October of that year, rumors and speculation ran rampant in the press about Payton's condition, until November 1st, when it was announced he had passed away. It was an accomplishment that had solidified Walter's place in NFL history. As he always promised, it`s been fun for Walter Payton for almost every inch of those . . Walter Payton used a variety of prescription medications during his days on the field to deal with the pain from injuries and general football soreness. Walter Payton had a reputation for being caring of others, even his opponents. Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1954 - November 1, 1999) was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons. The closest player from Payton's era to that mark, Tony Dorsett . If mother's wore jerseys, Alyne Payton's number would long ago have been retired. 1977 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year. 275 - Walter Payton, Chicago Bears vs. Minnesota Vikings, 11/20/77 273 - O.J. Also known for his charitable work, Payton succumbed to bile duct cancer on November 1, 1999. After . Walter Payton was a famous running back for the NFL's Chicago Bears. Author: Payton retired miles ahead of his peers in rushing yards, but he logged an astounding touch total (4,330) in his 13-year career. The world knows Alyne Payton as Walter Payton's mother, but the world knows only a smidgen of her motherliness. After struggling with the rare liver disease primary sclerosing cholangitis for several months, Payton died on November 1, 1999, aged 45, from cholangiocarcinoma. Payton retired after the 1987 season, and the Bears immediately retired No. THE HERO NO ONE KNEW. MVP. Large flecks of dirt were turning to mud in his eyes, and now Payton stood helpless in the resulting . Payton is not idle after his retirement. Walter Jerry Payton | Encyclopedia.com Payton Makes His MVP Case: October 10, 1977. Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton one of the greatest NFL players ever died on Nov. 1, 1999, at age 45 of bile duct cancer and liver failure. Ending the 1986 season, Payton announced that he would retire following the 1987 season. Apart from playing football, Payton spends his time recording music. . He retired in 1987 and passed away after a few years at the relatively young age of forty-five after suffering from bile duct cancer. He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football. 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. Walter Payton's signature would occasionally feature his number (34) or his nickname "Sweetness." After his playing career ended in the mid-1990s, Payton started to market his signature to the masses. 34. 1985 NFL Newspaper Ent. To many, he was the epitome of greatness. Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton, by Jeff Pearlman, Gotham Books, 496 pages By Paul Beston | October 25, 2011 Jeff Pearlman, a Sports . Why did they call Walter Payton Sweetness? 1977 NFL AP Offensive Player of the Year. . Payton averaged 132.3 rushing yards per game and was voted the NFL's Most Valuable Player. Today is the birthday of the man known as "Sweetness." Walter Jerry Payton was born on this day in 1954 in Columbia, Miss. Payton retired after the 1987 NFL season. Assoc. Walter finished his rookie season with 679 yards and . After a 16-year career, retirement is still in the air for Rams' tackle Andrew Whitworth after winning his first Super Bowl and receiving Walter Payton Man of the Year honors. The tears rolled down Walter Payton's cheeks like the tributaries of a river, flowing across the wide flood plain that his face has become since he retired from the Chicago Bears five years ago as the NFL's alltime leading rusher. The Player. A nine-time Pro Bowl selectee, Payton is remembered as a prolific rusher, once holding records for career rushing yards, touchdowns, carries . 34 is retired . 1977 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year. Payton was a nine-time Pro Bowler, a seven-time First-Team All-Pro selection, a Bert Bell Award winner, and was named to the All-Decade Team in both the 1970s and 1980s. 1985 NFL Bert Bell Award (Player of the Year) 1985 NFL UPI Offensive Player of the Year. . . 1977 NFL Sporting News Player of the Year. Although 1975 began with a performance that didn't merit writing home about, the season finale did. Back in 2013 when the Bears retired Mike Ditka's #89 they made a statement that it would be the last. A new book on football star Walter Payton claims that the Hall of Fame inductee running back abused drugs, had affairs, and threatened to commit suicide. Mrs. Payton died earlier this week at the age of 87. Long after Walter Payton has retired, he will be taking the ball and running with it. Retirement years (1988 - 1999). Payton was one of the most durable . . Known. . In high school, Payton excelled in several sports and was also a member of the school band and choir. . Although Walter Payton's national football career lasted only 13 seasons, he made a mark in the industry by setting new records. 16,726 yards, and had also scored 110 touchdowns. Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1954 - November 1, 1999) was an American professional football player who was a running back for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. CHICAGO - Walter Payton, whose aggressive, elusive style made him the NFL's all-time rushing leader and took Chicago to its only Super Bowl victory, died today. College: Florida A&M 34 Walter Payton - RB 1975-1987 College: Jackson State 40 Gale Sayers - RB/KR 1965-1971 College: Kansas . They were Mrs. Payton's other two blood children. Payton, a nine-time Pro Bowl selectee, once held the . 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. His jersey No. Simpson, Buffalo Bills vs. Detroit . He retired in 1987 and was, at the time, the all-time leading rusher in the league's history. His 13 year career with the Chicago Bears yielded 16,726 rushing yards; a record that stood until 2002 until Emmitt Smith bettered it. 34 is retired . Walter Payton 1954 - 1999 Retired professional football player At a Glance Competed in High School Most Valuable Player Became a Superstar Became a Super Bowl Champion Contracted a Deadly Disease Sources Payton carried the ball two more times and gained seven yards to claim the record. In his final year, Payton split carries with Neal Anderson and only earned 533 yards. Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton one of the greatest NFL players ever died on Nov. 1, 1999, at age 45 of bile duct cancer and liver failure. . The late Walter Payton was one of the NFL's most explosive players, breaking records the same way the powerful running back broke down defensive players. The latter illness is bile duct cancer, which doctors believe came from his liver disease. You know, Walter Payton was always a true champion. Pro Football Hall of Fame 1st team All-1970s Team. On November 1st, 1999, legendary Bears running back Walter Payton passed away after a short illness. He is regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Walter Payton. Early Years and Career Walter Jerry Payton was born on July 25, 1954, in Columbia, Mississippi. The work Payton did in the community, and the impact his work still has today, is the reason the NFL now gives the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award to the player who best embodied the legacy of Payton with charity and volunteer work. However, that is not how he earned his nickname. That`s his plan. 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. He becomes a board member for the Chicago Bears, pursues business ventures in travel, real estate, restaurants, and clubs, and he endorses . He retired from . The record books confirm that. Net Worth: $3 Million.