Walter “Sweetness” Payton, as a Running Back at Jackson State University from 1971 to 1974. made every All-American team picked for college division or division 1-AA teams. In both years Payton was voted Black College Player of the Year. A tough back, who ran harder than his size (5’10, 200), Payton was a complete football player -- one who could run the ball, block, tackle, pass, catch passes, and kick. It was in college that Payton picked up his nickname "Sweetness" because of the smooth way he ran. He moved on to a legendary career with the Chicago Bears, which included a Super Bowl Ring in 1985, nine Pro Bowls and two NFL Player of the Year Awards. Payton was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1996.
