Growing up in Mississippi, Payton's first sport was baseball. Walter didn't play football in high school until his junior year. Although he was only 5'10, his speed and ability to use the stiff arm made him eventually become one of the best players in the state.
Throughout his career, Payton was known to break many tackles. He had an elusiveness that left opposing coaches scratching their heads. Walter Payton went on to have a phenomenal career. Payton ended his career having a total of 21, 264 All-Purpose yards, including a total of 16,276 rushing yards and 110 touchdowns. In 1999, Payton was diagnosed with a liver disease called primary sclerosing cholangitis. Within that same year, Walter passed.
On and off the field, Walter Payton left his mark as someone who was an example who "never died easy". We can all learn from that example: Never give up on something that you feel is worth pursuing.