The late, great Walter Payton would have been 62 years old today. Knowing how young he still would have been but how long he’s been gone is more of a reminder of just how young Payton was when he lost his battle with liver disease. He’s been gone almost 17 years now which is truly hard to imagine.
Payton’s legacy lives on through the Walter Payton Man of the Year award, but he hasn’t been on a football field in almost thirty years and the younger NFL fans may not realize how great Payton truly was.
Payton was arguably the greatest running back the league has ever seen.