Walter Payton was an astounding person who had a huge impact on Mississippi. He faced a lot of hardships in his life, but he always made the best of it. He ended up becoming one of the greatest NFL running backs. Walter Payton accomplished many outstanding tasks in his life such as his career and his awards. These achievements impacted not only the people around when they were received but also many people to this day.
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Walter Jerry Payton was born on July 25, 1954, in Columbia, Mississippi. He grew up in Mississippi with his family. His parents, Peter and Alyne Payton had three children, with Walter being the youngest. In his younger years, Payton was never a competitive athlete. He enjoyed other activities such as playing instruments
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After the start of his football career, he began trying other sports, some of which he gained various metals and awards for. Although he continued competing in track and field, he began playing basketball and later on he made the All-State football team. This was just the start to his extraordinary athletic career. That fall, Payton continued to play football at Jackson State University. Among many other titles awarded him, Payton was one of the top scoring running backs during his junior year. Alongside his evergrowing football career, he maintained a bachelor's degree in communications during his time at Jackson State University. From college, he was drafted to the Chicago Bears where he further established himself as one of the greatest running backs from …show more content…
In 1977, Payton led the NFL with the most yards rushed in a single game, with 275 yards against the Minnesota Vikings. By the end of his 1987 season, he held the record for most rushing yards, including 110 touchdowns. Payton received the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for the season during his 1997 season. Shortly after he gained the MVP award, he surpassed Jim Brown’s record of most rushing yards. Since then many people continued to beat Jim Brown’s record, but no one could surpass Payton’s total of 16,726 yards. At the age of 23, he was the youngest player to ever recieve that award. Payton and his team had the privilege of attending and winning Super Bowl XX, which is now known as the most memorable win in Super Bowl history. This was the first championship for the Bears since 1963. In 1987, Walter Payton, at the age of thirty-three, retired from active play. During his thirteen years playing alongside the Chicago Bears, he was given the nickname “Sweetness.”
Aside from his football career, Payton also founded his own company. His company dealt with tasks such as real estate and traveling. In 1988 Walter Payton joined the Board of Directors for the Chicago Bears where he continued to show his