In the history of the National Football League, a few names are always highlighted. One of them is Walter Payton. Their legend is admired for his hard work, strength, and determination. Payton achieved numerous records throughout his career and holds a great history of Walter Payton’s stats.
Walter Payton, also referred to as the “sweetness,” was one of the most legendary players in the history of American football. He played as the running back for the Chicago Bears throughout his career. He played from 1975 to 1987 and is still considered one of the best players in American football history. He sure knows how to make a name for himself!
Walter Payton became famous because of his remarkable stats and unmatched high scores. The National Football League awarded him the Most Valuable Player award. Walter Payton’s stats remained unbeatable for the longest time.
Payton is regarded as one of the best running backs of all time, his games always reflected his hard work and determination, which were the reason for Walter Payton’s stats being this high. Let’s look into Walter Payton’s stats and how he achieved them.
List of Walter Payton’s stats:
- Rushing Yards: 16,726 yards
- Rushing Touchdowns: 110
- Receiving Yards: 4,538 yards
- Receiving Touchdowns: 15
- Total Touchdowns: 125 (110 rushing, 15 receiving)
- Pro Bowl Selections: 9 (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986)
- First-Team All-Pro Selections: 7 (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1984, 1985)
- NFL MVP: 1977
- Super Bowl Champion: XX (1985 season)
These are Walter Payton’s stats throughout his career. Explore each category in detail and see how Payton achieved these scores.
Rushing Yards
One of the things that Payton is known for throughout the American Football audience is his incredible rushing yards scores. His total score that was accumulated throughout his career was 16,726 yards.
Walter Payton’s stats on rushing yards are collected from his entire career of 13 seasons. Payton retired as the all-time leading rusher for the National Football League. Walter Payton’s stats were broken by Emmit Smith in 2002.
Payton retired in 1987, and for 15 years, nobody could break the records for all-time rushers. Payton was known for his tactical skills in an open field and navigating through a field of opposing teams.
It is a record that puts Payton in the Hall of Fame for football players.
Rushing Touchdowns: 110
A rushing touchdown is when the player, usually the running back or the quarterback carrying the ball, moves toward the opponent’s goal line and enters the end zone by running with the ball. However, to score a rushing touchdown the player must carry the ball while breaking in the plane of the goal line.
Looking into Walter Payton’s stats, it seems he found the task quite easy. Payton secured 110 rushing touchdowns. He was known as the reliable scoring threat for the Chicago Bear because of his ability to enter the end zone effectively.
Each rushing touchdown or touchdown increased Walter Payton’s stats and brought fame to the team’s name, which earned him the respect of his teammates.
Receiving Yards 4,538 yards
Receiving yards usually measures the effectiveness of the player. The players involved are the running backs, tight ends, and the quarterbacks.
Receiving yards refers to the total yardage gained by the player through the reception of passes. It measures the player’s ability to advance and pass quickly and effectively.
Walter Payton’s stats show that Payton was a versatile player who could handle any situation.
He received 4,538 yards throughout his professional life. Payton’s tactical skills helped the team in offense. Whether running between the tacklers or catching the passes from the quarterback, Payton never failed the team.
Receiving Touchdowns: 15
During Payton’s illustrious football career, he received 15 touchdowns. These receiving touchdowns consist of passes he caught while he was running, which showcases his multitasking abilities and reflects the importance of the player in the team.
These 15 touchdowns are part of the epic legacy he created. And because of these, he paved the way for becoming the all-time rusher in NFL history.
Pro Bowl Selections: 9
The Pro Bowl is one of the most awaited games of the season. They are held at the end of the year where the top players compete against each other. Because it is a “close call” game most of the time as both teams are at the top of their games, the audience is always at the edge of their seats.
Players are selected by voting. It is a friendly tussle between the American Football Conference and the National Football League.
Because of Walter Payton’s stats, he was selected 9 times for the Pro Bowl. It shows how he was the fan’s favorite and how his hard work paid off by being selected by the people multiple times. Payton was selected in 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1985, and 1986.
In 1977, Payton was awarded the Most Valuable Player by the National Football Team. from where he kept rising to fame.
First-Team All-Pro Selections: 7
All Pro is an honorary award given to the player selected as the best in their respectable position by the Associated Press. The first time all pro means that Walter Payton was considered the best player and running back of all the players in the league in that season.
Walter Payton’s stats highlight how he made the biggest impression on the audience’s hearts as he was awarded First Team All-Pro 7 times. He was selected in First Team All-Pro in 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1984, and 1985.
This resignation is highly esteemed because it ranks the player at the highest. Being selected 7 times shows how Payton was one of the best players in the history of the National Football League, if not The Best player.
Super Bowl Champion: XX (1985 season)
The Super Bowl is the championship game played at the end of the season to culminate all the games played throughout the year. The Super Bowl is held on the first Sunday of February and is one of the most-watched games in the USA.
Super Bowl XX was played in New Orleans, Louisiana, in 1985. The game was between the Chicago Bears and the England Patriots. This game is considered one of Walter Payton’s most important games. It is also very evident in Payton’s stats. The Bears won the game by 46-10.
Payton’s hard work and efficient performance were why the Bears won this Super Bowl. It is considered a significant moment in Payton’s career.
Walter Payton is still renowned for his amazing games, techniques like the stutter-step, and his remarkable team effort to always put his team’s name in the limelight. He was awarded the MVP award in the NFL for a reason.
Conclusion for Walter Payton Stats
Conclusively, Walter Payton’s stats portray a vivid picture of how he was as a player and how much effort he put into his game. As an all-time leading rusher at the time of his retirement, his overall starts were a testament to his vigilance, work ethic, and vision.
Walter Payton’s stats are not just numbers but paint a picture of his entire career, whether it’s 16,729 yards, 125 touchdowns, or 7 selections in All-Pro. Payton’s impact on his team and the hearts of the people will always remain unmatched regardless of the numerical values.
His starts are not just records or numbers, they are a story of the greatest legends in the history of the National Football League.
FAQS
Walter Payton’s yards are 16,729 over 13 seasons of NFL career.
Yes, Walter Payton won the NFL MVP in 1977.