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Walter Payton
On Saturday November 6, 1999 there was a memorial service held for one of the
greatest football players ever to grace a football field.
His name is Walter Payton and he was a football player for the Chicago
Bears. Thousands of fans attended
the service that was held at Soldier Field, the home of the Chicago Bears.
There were family and friends in attendance who shared their memories
of Walter with the fans. One of the most notable speakers was the Reverend Jesse
Jackson who said, “This light called Sweetness belongs to the heavens. Thank
God for Sweetness.” Walter
Payton is my favorite football player and hero and he will always have a place
in my heart and in the hearts of others.
The Bears drafted Payton in 1974 when he
was only 20, but the Bears selected him without hesitation.
He graduated from Jackson State in Mississippi.
He only rushed for 679 yards his rookie year, but he played through
injury and only started seven games that year.
He played through several injuries, and did not make excuses like he
was sick or had an injury. When
he got hit he got up quickly every time so that his mother could see that he
was not injured, and also so that the defense would not think that he was
beaten or giving up. These
actions prove he was a tough individual and a fierce competitor.
Walter Payton died at the age of forty-five from liver cancer; He left
a wife, daughter and a son behind. Not
only was he a great football player but he was also a great person. He was a very modest superstar in fact when the Bears won the
Super Bowl in 1985 he did not even score a touchdown. Unlike many superstars that are playing professional sports
today, he did not say a word or cared if he did not score; all he cared about
was the team winning. His
constant donations of money and time to charities show that he was a respected
man among the communities. Payton
believed there was nothing unique about him and that he was just like everyone
so sending his children to a public school was very ordinary.
Walter Payton had an amazing career where he now holds eight National
Football League records. His
records include career rushing yards leader (16,726), career rushing attempts
(3,838), rushing yards in a game (275), seasons with 1,000 or more rushing
yards (10), consecutive seasons leading NFL, rushing attempts (4), most games
with 100 or more yards (77), combined net yards (21,803), and combined net
attempts (4,368). The most memorable part of his career was the 1985 season
when he led the Bears to the Super Bowl.
He was a spectacular player, and could change the momentum of a game
with one play. I can tell that
just his presence on the field inspired his teammates to play better and it
put fear in the opponents.
On November 1,1999 the NFL and the rest of the world lost a great
person. He was a caring giving individual, and he loved the game even
though his team was not always the greatest he always played from the heart
and encouraged his teammates to play the same way.
He is a hero and an inspiration to anyone who ever saw him play the
game. He will be greatly missed.
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