How Long Did Walter Payton Play In The NFL?

Walter Payton played in the NFL for 13 seasons. He was a running back for the Chicago Bears from 1975-1987.

Walter Payton’s NFL Career

Walter Payton played in the NFL for 13 seasons. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 1975 NFL Draft. He played for the Bears for his entire career. He was a Pro Bowl selection nine times and was the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1977. Payton retired from the NFL in 1987.

Drafted in the first round by the Chicago Bears in 1975

Walter Payton was drafted in the first round by the Chicago Bears in 1975. He played 13 seasons with the Bears, from 1975 to 1987. He was a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1977. He retired as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher with 16,726 yards.

Played for the Bears for 13 seasons

From 1975 to 1987, Payton played for the Chicago Bears. During that time, he rushed for 16,726 yards and 110 touchdowns. He also had 1,852 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. Payton retired after the 1987 season.

Rushed for 16,726 yards and 110 touchdowns

Walter Payton played for the Chicago Bears for 13 seasons from 1975- 1987. He was an All-Pro 6 times and named to the Pro Bowl 9 times. He rushed for 16,726 yards and 110 touchdowns in his career.

Named to the Pro Bowl nine times

Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1954 – November 1, 1999) was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National League (NFL) for thirteen seasons. Payton was known around the NFL as “Sweetness”.

A nine-time Pro Bowl selectee, Payton is remembered as a prolific rusher, once holding records for most rushing yards in a single-game (275), most rushing yards in a season (1,852), most career rushing touchdowns (106), and most rushing attempts in a career (3,838). He was also versatile, and retired with the most receptions by a non-receiver. He was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993.

Named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1977

In his 13 seasons with the Chicago Bears, running back Walter Payton became the NFL’s all-time leading rusher. He was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1977 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993.

Walter Payton’s Retirement

After thirteen seasons with the Chicago Bears, Walter Payton decided to retire from the NFL. Payton played a total of 190 games over his NFL career, starting in every one of them. He was a nine-time Pro Bowler and was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1977.

Announced his retirement from the NFL in February 1987

In February 1987, Payton announced his retirement from the NFL. Payton cited his losing passion for the game as his main reason for retiring, though many speculated that post-concussion syndrome from years of brutal hits played a role in his decision.

Cited his desire to spend more time with his family as the main reason for his retirement

Walter Payton’s retirement from the NFL in 1987 was met with mixed reactions. Some people cited his age, 36, as the main reason for his retirement while others cited his desire to spend more time with his family as the main reason. Regardless of the reasons, Payton’s retirement signaled the end of an era for the NFL.

Played his final game in December 1987

Walter Payton played his final game in December of 1987. He had already announced his retirement earlier that year, but decided to come back for one last season. He played a total of thirteen seasons in the NFL, all with the Chicago Bears. During his career, he was selected to nine Pro Bowls and was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1977. He retired as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher, with a then-record 21,838 yards.

Walter Payton’s Legacy

Walter Payton is considered one of the best running backs of all time. He played for the Chicago Bears for 13 seasons and was a 9-time Pro Bowler. Payton retired in 1987 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993. He passed away in 1999 after a battle with pancreatic cancer.

Inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993

In his thirteen seasons in the NFL, all with the Chicago Bears, Payton gained 16,726 rushing yards and 110 touchdowns, both NFL records at the time of his retirement. He also caught492 passes for 4,538 yards and 15 touchdowns. His career total of 21,803 combined rushing and receiving yards is an NFL record. He retired in 1987, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993.

His number, 34, was retired by the Bears in 1999

In February 1999, the Chicago Bears retired Payton’s number, 34. He is one of only four players in team history to receive this honor (the others being Mike Ditka, Dick Butkus and Gale Sayers). In a statement released by the team, Payton was described as “the greatest Bear of them all”. In November 1999, he was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. In 2000, he was eligible for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and was selected as a finalist, but did not receive enough votes for induction. In January 2001, he was voted onto The Sporting News’ list of the 100 Greatest Football Players, making him the only active player at that time to be so honored.

Ranked as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher when he retired

Walter Jerry Payton (July 25, 1954 – November 1, 1999) was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) for thirteen seasons. Payton is remembered as a five-time Pro Bowl selection and a nine-time first-team All-Pro. He was the NFL Rookie of the Year in 1975 and the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 1977 season. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993.

In 1999, Payton was ranked as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher when he retired with 16,726 career rushing yards. His record stood until 2002 when Emmitt Smith surpassed it. Payton’s autobiography, titled Sweetness as well as a made-for-TV movie bearing his name were produced after his death.

His records have since been broken by Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice

Payton is remembered as one of the greatest running backs in NFL history. He played 13 seasons with the Bears, retiring as the league’s all-time leading rusher with 16,726 yards. His record has since been broken by Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice.