“Chicago Bears” Walter Payton Signed 8X10 Color Photo

Description

Up for auction the
“Chicago Bears” Walter Payton Hand Signed 8X10 Color Photo.
This item was purchased form Walter Paytons Charitable Foundation now called the Walter and Connie Payton Foundation.
ES-3224D
Walter Jerry Payton
(July 25, 1953 – November 1, 1999) was an American
football
running back
who played in the
National Football League
(NFL) for 13 seasons with the
Chicago Bears
. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. A nine-time
Pro Bowl
selectee, Payton 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. Payton also retired with the most receptions by a non-receiver, and he had eight career touchdown passes. He was elected into the
Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 1993, the
Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame
that same year, and the
College Football Hall of Fame
in 1996. He was named to the
NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
in 1994 and the
NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team
in 2019. Hall of Fame NFL player and coach
Mike Ditka
described Payton as the greatest football player he had ever seen—but even greater as a human being. Payton 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. Payton proceeded to win the 1977
AP NFL Most Valuable Player 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 (with two of those thirteen being lockout-shortened seasons). After struggling with the rare liver disease
primary sclerosing cholangitis
for several months, Payton died on November 1, 1999, from
cholangiocarcinoma
at the age of 46. 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
.