The late, great Walter Payton would have been 62 years old today. Knowing how young he still would have been but how long he’s been gone is more of a reminder of just how young Payton was when he lost his battle with liver disease. He’s been gone almost 17 years now which is truly hard to imagine.
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Payton’s legacy lives on through the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, but he hasn’t been on a football field in almost thirty years and the younger NFL fans may not realize how great Payton truly was.
Payton was arguably the greatest running back the league has ever seen. Some may say the greatest is Jim Brown, others make the claim that it’s Barry Sanders, even some will claim Emmitt Smith, but no one was better at every aspect of the game than Payton.
Payton’s ability to both run with power and speed, not to mention his tremendous pass catching ability made him a dual threat out of the backfield. Payton was also a tremendous blocker and had a great arm. Many times the Bears listed Payton as their emergency quarterback.
Payton’s highlights are still a treat to watch. He was a combination of speed, power and agility that we may never seen again.
He would have been 62 and he’s missed by Bears fans every day. We are about to be inundated with daily news from training camp when the Bears open up camp at the end of the week, so until then, let’s take a moment to tip our cap, point to the sky, and wish Sweetness a happy 62nd.
Bill Zimmerman is an editor and featured writer for FanSided‘s BearGogglesOn. Like his Facebook page or follow him on Twitter for more news and interaction.