Walter Payton was the greatest running back of all time. November 1st, 2021 marked 22 years since his passing. His talent and skill set are still held in high regard, as well as the person he was. He did things on the field that nobody should be able to do. A rare blend of power and speed, Walter Payton was on another level.

A Different Era

There was no running back by committee. There was no third down back. Payton was the alpha and Chicago who would never get off the field when the Bears were on offense. He ran, caught passes, blocked, and even got to throw. There were high expectations for the fourth overall pick from Jackson State and he delivered on all of it and more. The 16,726 rushing yards he amassed in his career is still an NFL record that will never be broken.

Payton got into the endzone 110 times as a runner averaging 4.4 yards per carry. As if that wasn’t enough, he also totaled 492 catches for 4,538 yards, averaged 9.2 yards per catch, and scored 15 times. But that’s not all, he also threw for eight touchdowns which is the most by a non-quarterback in the Super Bowl era. Kind of scary to think that the greatest running back of all time could’ve played quarterback if he really wanted to. You can check out his passing highlights here. Walter Payton lost his life way too soon at age 45 after a battle with cancer that spread to his liver.

Off The Field Legacy

The Walter and Connie Payton Foundation continues to do great work in Chicago. During his last days, the foundation pushed for organ donor awareness, and the charity continues to donate toys to underprivileged children each Christmas. There is also the Walter Payton Cancer Fund which began in 2002. We already know of the man of the year award named after him which is awarded to the best NFL humanitarian every season.

All recipients of the award are awarded a patch on their jersey to wear for the rest of their careers. Some winners included Russell Wilson, JJ Watt, Anquan Boldin, Eli Manning, Jason Witten, Calais Campbell, and Larry Fitzgerald. Separately, the Walter Payton Award is given to the best offensive player in FCS football every year. The Payton presence is still felt in the NFL today. There will never be another Walter Payton and that’s just the way it should be.

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