Walter Jerry Payton was born on July 25, 1954 in Columbia, Mississippi. Walter Payton grew up in Mississippi with his family. He was one of three siblings, two boys and a girl, the children of Peter and Alyne Payton. As a youth, Payton was never a competitive athlete. Walter enjoyed doing other things like playing instruments and being part of the school orchestra. He stood in the shadow of his brother Eddie. Walter only participated in one sport during his freshman year of high school, which was track and field. He ended up joining the football team the following year after a coach asked him as well. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay This opened a big door for Walter Payton's athletic abilities. He ended up winning many awards later for various sports. He branched out and began playing basketball, continued to compete in track and field and band, and was a member of the Allstate football team. This was just the beginning of Walter Payton's sports career. Walter Payton went on to play football for Jackson State University. Walter Payton was one of the best running backs in college during his freshman year. Walter Payton played football throughout college and eventually earned a bachelor's degree in communications. He received numerous awards during his university studies. He continued to play football and was recruited by the Chicago Bears straight out of college. He continued to win awards while continuing to play football. Walter Payton was selected as a college graduate from Jackson State University. He was selected as the first overall pick by the Chicago Bears. At the end of his 1987 season, he held the record for most rushing yards, including 110 touchdowns. In 1977, Payton led the NFL with most rushing yards in a single game, with 275 yards against the Minnesota Vikings. In 1997, he received the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award of the season. Shortly after winning the MVP award, he surpassed Jim Brown's record for most rushing yards. Many people continued to surpass Jim Brown's record after this, but no one was able to surpass Payton's total of 16,726 career rushing yards. At 23, he was the youngest player to win this award. He played for the Chicago Bears for 13 years. During these 13 years, he acquired the nickname “Sweetness”. Then, the Chicago Bears also had a memorable victory in Super Bowl XX, winning their first NFL championship since 1963. Walter Payton retired from active play at the age of 33. Football was not Walter Payton's chosen career. He began building his job and founded his own company after retiring from the NFL in 1987. His company handled tasks such as real estate and travel. He later joined the board of directors of the Chicago Bears. Walter Payton was married on July 7, 1976. He married his wife Connie and had two children. They decided to name their children Jarrett and Brittney. Family was his main priority in life. His second priority, which took precedence over his business, was being an assistant coach for the Estates High School basketball team. He loved basketball and enjoyed participating in children's programs. He loved helping so much that in 1988 he founded the Walter Payton Foundation for Children in Need and also co-founded and directed the Wood and Strings Puppet Theater at Skyway Elementary School. Walter Payton accomplished and helped accomplish).