#walter payton nfl man of the year award

[the-football-chick]

These are each team's nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. Established in 1970 and renamed after Payton in 1999, the award recognizes the players who have had a positive impact both on and off the field.

The winner of the award will be announced at the annual NFL Honors Awards next February and he will receive $250,000 to be donated to a charity of his choice.

IG: profootballchase (12/6/22)

[fyeahpatrickmahomes]

Patrick is nominated for Walter Payton NFL Man of the year!

Read

[brf-rumortrackinganon]

What a February

Well...what a great couple of days to be stuck in the office, amiright? (I work mostly from home but on occasion I have to go into the office and of course some nice little royal bombs get dropped when I can't be here.)

I've gotten some anons about what's happened but I won't be posting them (sorry, everyone!). Because so much has happened, I think it would just be confusing to rehash some of it, and other asks were also sent to Empress and Sassy (nothing wrong with that! They were doing answers in real-time and they've said pretty much the same things I'd have said).

So to recap recent events:

2/5/24: Buckingham Palace announced King Charles has cancer. Fortuntely it was caught early, Charles is doing/feeling well, he's beginning treatment immediately.

2/6/24: Harry catches a last-minute flight to London. Clarence House puts out a story "business as usual, nothing to worry about, King can still work and he is still working" (i.e., Harry go home).

2/7/24: Harry arrives in London. He goes directly to Charles, who is delaying travel to Sandringham to see him. Harry's PR says they met for an hour, Meghan wanted to say hello/wish him well via Facetime but Charles declined, and Harry went to BP for the evening. The Daily Mail tracked the comings and goings from Clarence House and realized the meeting lasted less than 15 minutes, from the time of Harry's convoy entering the grounds to Charles's helicopter leaving. It is further revealed that Harry spent the night in a hotel, William didn't return Harry's calls, Harry didn't want Camilla involved in the meeting, and none of Harry's "friends" offered to host him for the night. Also, William makes his first public engagements since mid-January when Kate's treatment began; Tom Cruise is there.

2/8/24: Harry flies home. He's papped at Heathrow entering the VVIP suite (as one does). Wait, Harry's not at home! He's in Las Vegas for the Super Bowl (or the Superb Owl) and makes a surprise appearance to present the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award. Sussex PR immediately begins telling everyone that Harry and Meghan will be attending the Super Bowl.

2/9/24: Lambrook School begins half-term break and the Wales family travels to Anmer Hall/Sandringham estate. Harry's appearance in Vegas gets picked up by the media.

2/10/24: Meghan's PR starts walking back their own rumors that they'll be in Vegas for the Super Bowl, citing the need to prepare for their Canada IG trip.

2/11/24: Super Bowl Sunday. No Harry and Meghan to be seen.

2/12/24: Meghan's PR reveals she spent the weekend cooking with Afghan immigrants in an Archewell initiative.

2/13/24: Harry and Meghan launch their newest rebranding effort with their new Sussex website with Meghan's coat of arms (rather than their joint coat of arms). Meghan announces a new podcast deal with someone no one has really heard of.

2/14/24: Harry and Meghan arrive in Vancouver for the "one year to 2025 Invictus Games." Meghan coordinates a photoshoot with outdoor activities; merches two outfits; and virtue-signals their "we're still royal" demands with Kate cosplay, a coat called Kensington, and a 'you can call us Sir/Ma'am' exchange caught on camera. In the evening they're papped going to a super-romantic Valentine's Day dinner date.

2/15/24: Day 2 of the Vancouver IG kickoff visit. They visit wheelchair basketball. Meghan gives her signature full-body contact-hugs. Sussex PR announce that the family has changed their surname to Sussex (from Mountbatten-Windsor) and this is the first time all family members have the same surname. Meghan also claps back at mounting criticism by saying "We will not be broken."

2/16/24: Day 3 of the Vancouver IG kickoff visit. Harry gives an interview to GMA's Will Reeve (son of the late Superman actor Christopher Reeve and his wife, Dana) in which he blabs about Charles's cancer and reiterates how much he loves his family, hinting that he's available to come back. Sussex PR also drops an article in the afternoon (with BP collaboration) announcing Harry and Meghan's plan to return with half in/half out; this is very clearly one of Charles's trial balloons from Clarence House.

(Today) 2/17/24: Backlash to the trial balloon is swift, so Clarence House backtracks immediately and does damage control. Kensington Palace announces that William will attend the 2024 BAFTAs tomorrow. Half-term break for Lambrook School ends on February 19th so the Waleses are traveling back to London/Windsor this weekend. And Hollywood has fought back by leaking about their Netflix deal, which contradicts a ton of Meghan's PR from 2020/2021.

Since some of you have asked for my thoughts, here you go. I am warning you now it's probably going to be my usual essay.

On the new website:

The new Sussex website is a problem. It conveys a legitimacy to the public that Harry and Meghan do not have, which The Queen and Edward Young made very sure was publicly known back in 2020. In particular, it's the use of Meghan's coat of arms, which signals palace support or endorsement. IMO, Buckingham needs to force them to take the coat of arms down.

I suspect they are using Meghan's coat of arms because a) Meghan believes it was personally awarded to her and is hers to use as she wants, whereas Harry's coat of arms probably comes with strings from the BRF and b) it's CYA if ever there's a divorce - if you look at it from a business standpoint, this is nothing more than Meghan branding the company with her name so she can prove ownership when they're splitting assets in a divorce, increasing her chances of getting the "company."

What about Archewell?

They're probably phasing out Archewell. It doesn't have the same visual connection to Harry and Meghan that Sussex does. I think they struggled so much with Archewell and were never able to get it off the ground in terms of a brand or an identity, in part due to the COVID-era launch. Sussex is a much stronger association for them and connects them more tightly to the royal identity. Archewell will probably be either their nonprofit arm or their content creator arm but it won't be as important going forward as it's been in the past.

Frankly, I would be surprised if Archewell v Sussex branding didn't come up in the brand analysis that WME did when Meghan first signed with them. We know they did a brand analysis because there was a ton of PR in August 2023 about Harry and Meghan becoming separate brands, which didn't work at all and they were back together as a "Sussex" brand in September 2023 with Dusseldorf Invictus Games. Seeing the success of "Team Sussex" in Dusseldorf definitely informed the website and the rebranding attempt.

What about the timing of all this?

They're taking advantage of the quietness from the royal family. They do this every year like clockwork when 1) the BRF is on summer holidays (July through early September) and 2) the BRF is on winter holidays (late December through early February). What is unusual about this timing is that it's taking place in mid-February and possibly well into March, which is a clear signal that it's the Sussexes taking advantage of Kate's absence to draw attention to themselves because Kate isn't there to steal their headlines.

And that it was a whole week of Sussex PR is not unusual either. It's their usual pattern when they have something big they want to promote and dominate the news with. It's cyclical at this point: first is a reminder of their royal status (Harry flying to Charles's bedside), then it's a reminder of their celebrity status (the Super Bowl appearance), then it's a big announcement (Sussex website), culminating in a set of public engagements/appearances (Invictus Games) with media attention. And to keep the attention coming, they drop breadcrumbs about the royal family to look like they're still "in," which buys them a few extra days of coverage because Charles falls for the bait every time.

The more interesting bit of timing in all of this is the Netflix article. Netflix wouldn't randomly give comments like this, so something must have happened behind the scenes for them to be pushed to this particular breaking point. I feel like perhaps the Sussexes may be trying to renegotiate their deals - maybe they asked for more money or maybe Meghan is trying to get more out of this 'Meet Me at the Lake' production than was agreed - and this is Netflix making it clear that it's over and done. I also have a niggling feeling that it might be connected to the upcoming film awards (BAFTA Film Awards tomorrow, Oscars on March 10th) - maybe they're trying to score tickets to parties using Netflix's name?

Are they really going to come back? Will Charles let them work again?

Analytically, the evidence points to 'no.' The trial balloon failed quickly faster than any other I've seen recently, which is and isn't surprising. It's surprising how quickly Charles backtracked since it had his implicit endorsement. It's not surprising that Charles pulled it down - he's as thin-skinned as Harry and Meghan both are when it comes to criticism.

But it's also more than just the trial balloon. It's everything else.

Charles wants them back on the family side. That's always been pretty clear. I think he waffles on having them back on the "work" side: on the one hand, the BRF needs the help since 10 of The Queen's 14 working royals are elderly (all 5 Kents, the 2 Gloucesters, Charles and Camilla, and Anne) and 2 of the remaining 4 are dealing with a signficant health issue and are temporarily out of commission - in the business sense, this is unsustainable and untenable succession planning. But on the other hand, no one wants Harry and Meghan back, for a litany of reasons including how much shit they've talked about the family (collectively and individually), the petty PR games they play for attention, and the Sussexes' general toxicity. And by 'no one,' I mean family members, courtiers/staff, others in the aristocracy (not getting invites to the Grosvenor wedding is a huge reflection of what "their kind" thinks of teh Sussexes), and the at-large general public.

Charles probably has entertained the idea of half in/half out now that he's in charge and the Sussexes are now lovebombing him (vs in 2020 when they were lovebombing The Queen) but his biggest opposition is public support - it took Charles 30 years and 4 significant deaths (Diana, Queen Mother, Philip, and her own forthcoming death) to get The Queen's support for Camilla to become 'Queen Camilla and, in turn, the public's support or the public's indifference.

Charles doesn't have that kind of time to get the institutional and public support to bring Harry back. He's got 10 years at best, which is now handicapped by a cancer diagnosis.

Beyond that, he doesn't even have Harry and Meghan's cooperation the same way he had Camilla's cooperation. Camilla cooperated with a 10-year wait to be liked well enough that no one would object to her marrying Charles. Camilla then cooperated with a further 17-year wait to be liked well enough that the institution would support her becoming Queen.

Can Harry and Meghan wait that long? No. They can't. They couldn't wait an extra year to get engaged. They couldn't wait to have their first child. They couldn't wait out the criticism from Fall 2018. They couldn't wait out the criticism from Summer 2019. Harry couldn't wait for the phone-hacking settlement. When they want something, they want it now. They buy completed projects and slap their branding on it vs. developing their own programs.

Can Harry and Meghan cooperate with anyone? No. They can't. They couldn't cooperate with William and Kate on the Royal Foundation. They couldn't cooperate with the courtiers for Archie's birth. They couldn't cooperate with the family on Megxit. They couldn't cooperate with the rota for tour coverage. They need to be totally and fully in control of absolutely everything. Their idea of cooperation is 'I tell you what to do, you do it.'

And because they're too impatient and because they refuse to cooperate, there's no way they'll support a 10-years long PR drive for Charles to rehabilitate their public image and get William's support. Heck, they can't even last a 3-month media rebrand. Charles knows that, which I suspect is why he may be trying to fast-track it but 1) when has fast-tracking something ever gone well for the BRF and 2) William is the linchpin holding it all together. Charles can't do anything without William's support. Yes, William is that powerful now - the public does pay attention to what he and Kate signal and the public would support them more than they would support Charles. Charles can't risk losing William's favor any more than he already has.

The third reason stopping Charles from taking Harry and Meghan back as working royals is Camilla and that Harry doesn't want her involved. He admitted it last week when he didn't contradict her leak about it. IMO, this reveals Harry's hand: he wants to position himself (or Meghan and himself) as Camilla's alternate, the way Charles often stood in as Philip's alternate. They want Camilla to retire so they can take her place in prestige, wealth, and attention. It's the only way they can "be better" than William and Kate, and they probably think it's how they can get "more" in the inheritance than William. Unfortunately for them, Camilla is Charles's line in the sand so no way will Charles let that happen after he spent 30 years getting Camilla to be able to sit next to him, and on top of all that, Camilla herself didn't wait 30 years to be Queen just for a pair of narcisstic glassbowl shitheads to usurp her at the last second.

That's the "working royal" side of it.

When you look at the "family" side of it, we know that Charles is more accepting of allowing the Sussexes back as family members, albeit with two strict rules:

No Meghan

No royal work

We know these are Charles's rules because it's already been communicated to us, most especially in the events around the Queen's funeral and his own coronation.

We also know these are Charles's' terms because Harry is publicly fighting against them this week, which suggests that these may have been reiterated (or relitgated, perhaps) during the <15-minute visit on February 7th.

"We all finally have the same surname for the first time as a family" and "maybe I'll become an American' is Harry's way of telling Charles and the courtiers that all four of them are a package deal and they all move together (like Archie's salt and pepper shakers). Meaning that if Charles wants Harry back, Charles must also take Meghan, Archie, and Lili too.

The Vancouver trip being such a royal rip-off is Harry's way of demanding royal work. His position is that he and Meghan must have the exact same lifestyle now that they had back in 2018: a palace residence, glamorous patronages, military honors, gushy praising media coverage, carriage processions, and equal precedence to the entire Wales family.

All this to illustrate that the dividing line is over the work aspect.

On one side is everyone saying "no, they can't work, they're just family." On the other side is Harry and Meghan saying "we're not just family, we're also working royals." And Charles is there smack in the middle saying "don't make my last years miserable" begging someone to give in. It's clear that Charles hopes it will be the institution (i.e. William) that gives in so he can fast-track the rehabilitation.

So no, I don't think Charles and the Sussexes will succeed in being part-time working royals. I think we'll see a lot of negotiating in the coming weeks and months (like Sussex demands for Trooping) and it may get loud and it may look frighteningly real, but that's only because William and Kate are on leave from work and their absence lets Harry and Meghan play offense. Once the Waleses are working again, or a new picture of Kate is released (I'm still hedging my bets for something celebrating Mother's Day next month), the Sussexes go back to playing on defense, and playing poorly.

We only need to worry if William, Kate, and Camilla appear to be changing their minds. They represent "the institution" to Charles, as well as public support (William) and establishment media (Camilla). William continues to tell everyone he isn't speaking to Harry. Kate's body language at the Windsor Walkabout keeps resurfacing. Camilla has leaked that Harry doesn't want to see her when he visits Charles and that she doesn't support the Sussexes coming back. There's nothing to worry about for now.

[sassyfrassboss]

Had to roll my eyes when I saw that Harry gave out the Walter Payton Man of the year award at the NFL Honors. Very ironic he should give an award that represents giving back to the community/philanthropy when he is anything but that himself.

"honoring a player's commitment to philanthropy and community impact, as well as his excellence on the field."

Especially on the back of the African Parks news...which he has been aware since May 2022 and still joined their board.

[royalsandchill]

Come on, really?

He gave out the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, which, for those who may not know, is given out to a player that has a commitment to a philanthropy and community impact, as well as his excellence on the field.

They better not have given him this chance because of his "commitment to philanthropy and community impact." Because if we're all being real, neither one of those things applies to him much anymore. He doesn't have any real commitment to philanthropy beyond a half-assed foundation and a couple remaining personal patronages that he's barely hanging onto. And his community impact is almost nil.

I don't want to be a gatekeeper, because even the most unassuming people watch football. But he probably doesn't even watch American football.

And I could forgive it if he was a real athlete, not an occasional polo player, from somewhere outside the U.S. or he was a regular sports commentator.

No, he's a dumbass prince that falls ass backwards into things like this.

Glad the season's over. My team didn't make to the Bowl, so I won't be watching. This isn't going to live in my head rent free once I'm done with this post. But it would have made watching anything else less enjoyable because I'd remember that for some unknown reason, the NFL decided it was a good idea to have this British ass hat present an award.

[lboogie1906]

Rayne Dakota Prescott (July 29, 1993) is a football quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, twice earning first-team All-SEC honors, and was selected by the Cowboys in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL draft. He ranks fourth all-time in completion percentage with at least 1,500 pass attempts and is fifth in the NFL’s all-time regular season career passer rating.

Intended to serve as a backup in his rookie season, he became the Cowboys’ starting quarterback after starter Tony Romo was injured in the preseason. He went on to lead the Cowboys to the top seed of the National Football Conference and set several rookie quarterback records, earning him Offensive Rookie of the Year. He has since led the Cowboys to three additional division titles and made three Pro Bowl appearances. He won the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award.

He is the youngest of Nathaniel and Peggy Prescott’s three children. He attended Haughton High School in Haughton, Louisiana, where he played football for the Buccaneers. As a senior, he completed 159 of 258 passes for 2,860 yards and 39 touchdowns. He rushed for 951 yards on 90 attempts with 17 touchdowns and led Haughton to become 2010 District 1-AAAA Champions. A three-star recruit, he accepted a scholarship from Mississippi State over offers from Louisiana Tech, LSU, Memphis, Nicholls State, North Texas, and TCU.

He is a Christian. His brother Jace was an offensive lineman at Northwestern State. His mother died of colon cancer in November 2013. The Faith Fight Finish Foundation has been established in her honor, which helps people deal with adversity. His brother Jace committed suicide in April 2020. He has a daughter. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[molsons112000]

Barry Sanders said he retired out of respect for Walter Payton. That he didn't want to break the rushing record that Walter Payton set out of respect for his Idle.

I followed Barry Sanders and he seems like he is an extremely good person.... He knows what he could have done. But you have to admire somebody that understands discipline and respect. Just because he could he doesn't mean he should. It goes into his character.....

How many sports measure their athletes on and off the field and admire those that are excellent on and off the field.... These set examples for the rest of the people in their sport.

I met Walter Payton multiple times and spent time talking to him. Trurely a super good guy.

NFL.com

https://www.nfl.com › honors › m...

Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year

The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award recognizes an NFL player for his excellence on and off the field. The award was established in 1970.

Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › B...

Barry Sanders

Sanders led the league in rushing yards four times ... winning the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. ... In 1994, Sanders was awarded the NFL

The Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award recognizes an NFL player for his excellence on and off the field. The award was established in 1970. It was renamed in 1999 after the late Hall of Fame Chicago Bears running back, Walter Payton.

https://www.nfl.com › honors › m...

Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year

The NFL should offer this every year to an alumni of the NFL as well. Not only current players but former players.

[the-football-chick]

12th NFL Honors Awards - Feb. 9, 2023

Patrick Mahomes - Most Valuable Player

Nick Bosa - Defensive Player of the Year

Justin Jefferson - Offensive Player of the Year

Sauce Gardner - Defensive Rookie of the Year

Garrett Wilson - Offensive Rookie of the Year

Geno Smith - Comeback Player of the Year

Dak Prescott - Walter Payton Man of the Year

Brian Daboll - Coach of the Year

[nosdk]

Tyrann Mathieu nomineret til Walter Payton Man Of The Year

New Orleans Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu er udnævnt som Saints kandidat til Walter Payton Man Of The Year prisen, som uddeles ved NFL Honors før Super Bowl. Walter Payton Man of the Year Award uddelt af Nationwide er ligaens mest prestigefyldte hæder og anerkender NFL-spillere, der udmærker sig på banen og demonstrerer en passion for at skabe en varig positiv indvirkning ud over spillet i deres…

[nfliplnews]

[ad_1] The nominees for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award, which recognizes a player's commitment to making an impact off the field, were released Tuesday.One player from each team is nominated for what the league deems its "most prestigious honor.""These 32 outstanding men are making a valuable difference in their communities every day and we are proud to celebrate their special gifts and humanitarianism," commissioner Roger Goodell said.The annual award is part of the NFL Honors presentation, a prime-time awards special to be broadcast by CBS on Feb. 8 during Super Bowl week.A $250,000 donation will be made to the charity of the winner's choice, with each nominee also receiving funds to contribute.Here are the nominees from each team:Arizona Cardinals, Jonathan LedbetterAtlanta Falcons, Bradley PinionBaltimore Ravens, Roquan SmithBuffalo Bills, Dion DawkinsCarolina Panthers, Bradley BozemanChicago Bears, Justin JonesCincinnati Bengals, Ted KarrasCleveland Browns, Anthony Walker Jr.Dallas Cowboys, DeMarcus LawrenceDenver Broncos, Garett BollesDetroit Lions, Frank RagnowGreen Bay Packers, De'Vondre CampbellHouston Texans, Jon WeeksIndianapolis Colts, Zaire FranklinJacksonville Jaguars, Dawuane SmootKansas City Chiefs, Patrick MahomesLas Vegas Raiders, Maxx CrosbyLos Angeles Chargers, Derwin James Jr.Los Angeles Rams, Cooper KuppMiami Dolphins, Alec IngoldMinnesota Vikings, Harrison PhillipsNew England Patriots, Jonathan JonesNew Orleans Saints, Tyrann MathieuNew York Giants, Saquon BarkleyNew York Jets, Solomon ThomasPhiladelphia Eagles, Lane JohnsonPittsburgh Steelers, Cameron HeywardSan Francisco 49ers, Arik ArmsteadSeattle Seahawks, Bobby WagnerTampa Bay Buccaneers, Antoine Winfield Jr.Tennessee Titans, Jeffery SimmonsWashington Commanders, Terry McLaurinFans can vote on X and participate in the selection process by posting #WPMOYChallenge along with the last name/X handle of their chosen nominee, or by voting directly on NFL.com/ManOfTheYear. When two nominees have the same last name, the full name of the nominee or his X handle must be included.The award, established in 1970, was renamed to honor the late Walter Payton in 1999. Three current players have won the award -- Dak Prescott, Russell Wilson and Calais Campbell -- and wear a special jersey patch to commemorate the award. [ad_2] Source link

[jdgo51]

Believe in Your Dream

Today's inspiration comes from:

Change Starts with You

by Sam Acho

"Your dream may seem crazy, but it’s yours. Believe in it."

"'You may have dreams of tens of millions, or you may have dreams of ten. No matter what your dream is, believe in it. If you don’t believe, no one else will. My dad is still dreaming of houses and hotels, more wings to the hospital. He never stops dreaming!

It’s crazy how some of his dreams happen. I remember first hearing about the hospital he was hoping to build in Nigeria. He said it would cost over 200 million naira (that’s over half a million dollars). We didn’t have the money. But he kept on dreaming. He brought the entire team of missionaries and showed them the land where the hospital would be built. One of the missionaries actually took a piece of dirt from that land in a small bag (still not sure if that’s legal), brought it back to America, and prayed over it every day.

Eighteen months later, after two nominations for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year award, a wildly successful charity event, and a few generous donors, the hospital was built. What was once dirt now brings life.

Believe in your dream.

Miracles happen when you believe.

When we were working on building the Austin Harvest food mart on the West Side, we needed to raise half a million dollars. For whatever reason, I believed. Two weeks and seventeen people later, the money was raised.

Miracles happen when you believe. There’s a story in the Bible of a boy who was demon possessed. Since his childhood this boy hadn’t been right. Until he met Jesus. After a bit of conversation, and the inability of the disciples to help the boy, Jesus met the boy’s dad with a question.

“And He asked [the boy’s] father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’ And he said, ‘From childhood. It has often thrown him both into the fire and into the water to kill him. But if You can do anything, take pity on us and help us!’” The father had heard about Jesus. He knew about His miracles, knew about His power, but there was still a little doubt. Jesus called Him out on it: “‘If You can?’ All things are possible for the one who believes.”1 I love how direct Jesus’ statement is. There’s no doubt, no confusion in his words and tone.

All things are possible to him who believes. The story could end there, but it doesn’t.

Immediately the boy’s father cried out and said, ‘I do believe; help my unbelief!’2

I believe this story is an example for us. An example for those who semi-believe, who almost believe. Lord, I do believe, but help my unbelief. A simple yet powerful prayer. Jesus would go on to heal the boy, but I believe the father was also changed forever. Miracles will do that to you. So will believing.

Believe in your dream."'

Mark 9:21–23, emphasis added. Mark 9:24. Excerpted with permission from Change Starts with You by Sam Acho, copyright Sam Acho.

[pastorkevinc]

Don’t be that person – a response to the Philadelphia Eagles Fans #OneMinuteMondays

Don’t be that person – a response to the Philadelphia Eagles Fans Throughout the day today after the Super Bowl, I have heard people commenting on the pregame award of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award. This humanitarian award is the highest award given each year in the NFL. The award recognizes an NFL player for his outstanding community service activities off the field. Each NFL franchise…

[lboogie1906]

Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1954 – November 1, 1999) was a football player who was a running back for the Chicago Bears of the NFL for 13 seasons. He was known around the NFL as “Sweetness”. A nine-time Pro Bowl selectee, he is remembered as a prolific rusher, once holding records for career rushing yards, touchdowns, carries, yards from scrimmage, all-purpose yards, and many other categories. He was versatile, retired with the most receptions by a non-receiver, and had eight career touchdown passes. He was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame that same year, and the College Football Hall of Fame. Hall of Fame NFL player and coach Mike Ditka described him as the greatest football player he had ever seen—but even greater as a human being.

He began his football career in Mississippi and went on to have an outstanding collegiate football career at Jackson State University, where he was an All-American. He started his professional career with the Chicago Bears in 1975, who selected him with the 1975 Draft’s fourth overall pick. He proceeded to win the 1977 AP NFL MVP Award and won Super Bowl XX with the 1985 Chicago Bears. 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.

His legacy includes being the namesake of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, Walter Payton Award, and a heightened awareness of the need for organ donations. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence