Top 30 NFL Players of the 1900s

9. Walter Payton

A good nickname should describe a player perfectly. If there is a word that describes the play of Walter Payton better than “Sweetness,” I’d love to hear it.

When you were watching Walter Payton, you weren’t just watching football- you were watching an act of theater. He didn’t so much play as he set up moving parts to set up another play that left fans picking up their jaws.

Payton was the NFL MVP in 1977, as well as the Offensive Player of the year in the same year. Payton retired as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher. He made eight All-Pro teams throughout the course of his illustrious career. Payton was the ultimate humanitarian, as well. So much so that the NFL named it’s Man of the Year award for impact made off the field and in communities after the late great running back.

Payton was the running back of his generation. From the mid ‘70s to mid ‘80s, no one did the things Payton could do with a football in his hands. There are few jerseys as recognizable as Payton’s navy blue No. 34, and there are few players that resemble his ability on the field.