Chicago Bears Streaming

Don't miss your chance to watch the next game of the Chicago Bears live online. Or any of the other games this season. It will be fun and very exciting to watch football games online, no matter the results.

Taylor about his favorite player of the Chicago Bears:

If you're an NFL player and your nickname is "sweetness", then you probably have some slick moves when carrying the ball. This was true of Walter Payton, Chicago Bears running back, known as "sweetness" for his almost indescribable ability to make tacklers miss. Payton came into the NFL in 1975, and by the time he left he had changed the position of running back.

In only his second year, Payton rushed for 1,390 yards and 13 touchdowns. The next season, 1977, is when Payton would truly make an indelible impact on the league. He rushed for 1,852 yards and 14 touchdowns in 1977. His hallmark game came on November 20th against the division-rival Minnesota Vikings. Payton was suffering from the flu, and had a 101 fever before the game. Regardless, he rushed for 275 yards, breaking O.J. Simpson's single-game rushing record. That record stood for 23 years.

Payton continued his rushing dominance after 1977, rushing for more than 1,200 yards every year through 1986 (except for 1982, when a strike shortened the NFL season to nine games). In 1985, his 1,551 rushing yards helped the Bears to a 15-1 record and the second best offense in the NFL. The Bears went on to the Super Bowl that year and routed the New England Patriots 46-10.

Payton retired after the 1987 season, leaving the game as the NFL's all-time rushing leader. At the time of his retirement, he also held NFL records for most rushing touchdowns (110), career yards from scrimmage (21,264), career 100-yard rushing games, and seasons with 1,000 or more yards rushing (among other records, these are just a few). Most of Payton's records would be broken later on by players like Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice. His influence on the game, however, would remain. Many running backs (including Emmitt Smith) cite Payton as their inspiration. He tried to punish his tacklers instead of simply absorbing punishment. This, combined with his stutter-step running style made him tough to catch, but tough to tackle as well.

Payton was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993. Unfortunately, in 1999, Payton died from a very rare autoimmune disease at only 45 years old. His presence will be missed, but his legacy will live on in the game of football.

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