In 1976, he earned his first Pro Bowl selection, rushing for 1,390 yards and 13 touchdowns. But then Walter Payton’s career took off. In the Bears’ final game of the ’75 campaign, he rushed for a then-career-high 134 yards, finishing the season with 679 yards and seven touchdowns. But he continued to work and continued to improve each and every week. His career got off to a rocky start as he gained exactly zero yards on eight carries in his pro debut against the Baltimore Colts. The Chicago Bears selected Walter Payton with the fourth pick in the 1975 NFL draft. Walter Payton put up crazy numbers at Jackson State It was here that Walter Payton truly made a name for himself, proving to all the schools that had passed on him that they’d made a colossal mistake. He initially committed to play at Kansas State but decided to follow in his brother’s footsteps and enrolled at Jackson State, a historically black school. But despite his success, no SEC schools came calling as some still weren’t offering many scholarships to black players. In his two years at Columbia High, he scored in every game he played and earned All-State honors his senior season. Payton finally joined the team as a junior and was an instant sensation. He was a good athlete but chose not to join the football team in high school until his older brother Eddie, who later played five seasons of his own in the NFL, was off the team as he didn’t want to compete with him. On the field and off, the legendary Chicago Bears running back affectionately known as “Sweetness” epitomized class, which is why the NFL Man of the Year Trophy now bears his name.īorn in Columbia, Mississippi, it took Payton a little time to take to football. Walter Payton was the true definition of greatness.
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