Walter Payton, nicknamed "Sweetness," was a legendary running back for the Chicago Bears who played from 1975 to 1987 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. After a stellar college career at Jackson State University, he was drafted 4th overall in 1975, won the 1977 AP NFL MVP, and capped his career by winning Super Bowl XX with the Bears in 1985. A nine-time Pro Bowler, he retired holding numerous NFL records for rushing yards, touchdowns, and carries, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996. Raised in Columbia, Mississippi, Payton originally played drums in the marching band and only started football as a junior, scoring a 65-yard touchdown on his very first carry. He died on November 1, 1999, at age 46 from a rare liver disease, leaving a powerful legacy that includes the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award and a lasting impact on organ donation awareness.