Payton would rush for at least 1,200 yards nine times, making both the 1970s and 1980s All-Decade Teams. A beloved player, Payton was always giving back to the community, winning the Man of the Year Award in 1977, which was the same season as his MVP.
He died young at 45, falling victim to a rare liver disease. The NFL would rename an accolade he once won, the Man of the Year Award, the Walter Payton Man of the Year.
Perhaps the best way to describe Payton is a quote from his former coach, Mike Ditka, who told him as "the greatest player he had ever seen, but even greater as a human being."