Position: Halfback
School: Jackson State
High School: Columbia, MS (Columbia HS)
Years: 1971-1974
Inducted: 1996
Place of Birth: Columbia, MS
Date of Birth: 7/25/1954
Place of Death: South Barrington, IL
Date of Death: 11/1/1999
Jersey Number: 34
Height: 6-0
Weight: 205

Walter Payton came out of Columbia, Mississippi, to star at Jackson State. He broke into the starting lineup as a freshman in 1971. He was a complete football player-- one who could run the ball, block, tackle, pass, catch passes, and kick. In that freshmen year he gained 614 yards rushing and 65 yards passing. He scored 7 touchdowns and kicked 3 field goals and 13 extra points. As a sophomore in 1972, he had his biggest scoring day against Lane College. He ran for 7 touchdowns and two 2-point conversions. In 1973 and 1974 he made every All-American team picked for college division or division 1-AA teams. In both years he was voted Black College Player of the Year. He finished his career at Jackson State with 464 points and 3,563 yards rushing. The point total was a modern record for college football. He averaged 6.1 yards per carry for four years. Payton, 6-0 in height and 205 pounds, joined the pros in 1975. He played 13 years with the Chicago Bears and set a pro rushing record of 16,726 yards. He was honored in 1987 with the founding of the Walter Payton Award, given each year to the leading player in 1-AA football. Walter Payton was born July 25, 1954, at Columbia, Mississippi. He died November 1, 1999, at South Barrington, Illinois. Cancer caused his death at age 45. He was honored in a series of events following his death. Nov. 5-Funeral services attended by 1,200 at his church. Nov. 6-A ceremony at Soldier Field, Chicago, drew an estimated 20,000 fans. Speakers included Rev. Jesse Jackson and former teammates. Film highlights of his career flashed on a scoreboard. A choir sang tributes to him. Nov. 8-A ceremony at his school, Jackson State University. Nov. 10-His hometown Columbia, Miss., announced it will build a statue of Walter Payton.