NFL: Selecting the best player in each franchise’s history
By Brad Rowland
Chicago Bears – Walter Payton
The Chicago Bears have a long, storied tradition, and that makes this a difficult choice. Greats like Dick Butkus, Gale Sayers, Bronko Nagurski and Red Grange played for the organization many years ago. More recently, the 1985 Bears (headlined by Mike Singletary) made a name for themselves as the best defense ever assembled. With all of that on the table, though, I’m going with “Sweetness.”
Walter Payton was a monster in every respect. The talented running back led the NFL in rushing attempts for four consecutive seasons from 1976-79, and he retired as the league’s all-time leading rusher with 16,726 yards. That mark has since been eclipsed by Emmitt Smith, but Payton did his damage over only 13 seasons (against 15 for Smith), and his peak was arguably as high as any running back in NFL history while still sustaining the longevity of an all-time great.
Payton rushed for 1,000 yards or more in ten seasons, ranks fourth all-time in rushing touchdowns (110) and, crazily, is among the top 150 players in NFL history in receptions (492). In short, he is one of the best running backs to ever play in the league, and even with a laundry list of greats that played with the Bears, Payton stands out above the rest.
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