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He earned the name Sweetness deservedly, on and off the field. His generosity was even more impressive than his football prowess, and the Walter Payton Man of the Year honor is testament to this. I miss him terribly.
@Phil Jermakian I'm not sure what this has to do with being charitable tbh, but Payton was a very physical player playing an already physical game, so things like this were bound to happen.
@@DNReacts the NFL's man of the year award which is awarded to the "best player on and off the field" - basically a good player who also does good stuff off the field is named the Walter Payton Man of the Year award
Walter played his entire career with Chicago. When he retired he was the all time leading rusher, and held the single game rushing record as well with 275 yards in one game. He also threw for several touchdowns, caught touchdowns, returned touchdowns, all while being the man every defender knew was going to get the ball and couldn’t stop. He was the greatest that my eyes ever saw.
An all round Legend it feels Jamison. Thanks for this. In time we’ll come back with more Walter and hear the story of his full career and life too, as he sounds like an incredible guy too.
Your eyes must have somehow not watched his absurd fumble rate. He had more than 2x the fumbles of Barry Sanders, 25 more fumbles than Emmitt Smith, 50!!! more fumbles than Marshall Faulk, etc. He was good, but being an insane fumbler kills a lot of any value he provided.
As a Bears fan, one of the most amazing things to me about Payton wasn't even how much of a beast he was on the field, but just how he carried himself through life. Some examples can be seen in this video, but he would often give the football to his teammates after a touchdown to let them celebrate instead. In his 13-year career he only ever missed a single game. A humble, generous, and kind man, it's no mystery why the NFL renamed the Man of the Year award after him. Walter Payton really is a person worth looking up to, more than just an amazing athlete. Great video.
My two favorite running backs are Walter Payton and Barry Sanders (and this is coming from a Cowboys fan). I love Barry for his amazing Houdini like runs but Walter had a determination that was unbelievable. Walter was the most complete back I ever saw, explosive runs, could catch the ball and turn it upfield and his blocking was unmatched. Both ran behind mediocre lines, just showcases how incredible they really were.
There will never be another back to run the ball like Walter. He had explosive power and speed, the moves and grace of a Barry Sanders, and incredible hands. Sweetness was also the greatest blocking back in NFL history! He never ran out of bounds and wanted to run defenders over ...he loved contact! He was without any doubt, the GREATEST to ever put on the uniform. RIP my childhood hero.
Was just gonna say. It’s no accident the NFL’s annual Man of the Year award is called the Walter Payton Award. I got a lump in my throat, just writing this.
Heart, Determination and Balance .. Sweetness ! He became the NFL record holder for Career rushing yrds, 16,726 . Most 100yrd rushing games, 77 and tied with most 1,000yrd seasons, 10 .
They call him Sweetness because of his running style that made it sweet for fans to watch. Also, because he was a genuinely good person off the field, unfortunately, he died young because of a rare disease. Amazing and tragic stories in all of sports
They called him Sweetness because of his dance moves. He could tear it up on the dance flow. It just carried over to the football field. Also, Payton had incredible leg strength because he was notorious in the offseason for running up a giant hill all the time. It was a brutal workout that no one else could really do, there are videos on that as well.
It's cool that I 2:27 the announcers say that he has a great attitude because shortly after Paton died, the NFL renamed their Man of the Year award for outstanding contributions both on and off the field after him. Now most players want to wind that award even more than the Most Valuable Player award.
When Barry Sanders retired, he was one season from breaking Payton's all time career rushing record. Others have broken them since, but Payton was the best I ever saw play.
I vote that you react to Earl Campbell. He was a monster on the field. He’d run you over or just flat out run you. I remember watching him as a kid and was amazed at his tenacity
Payton was always my favorite NFL player. He never ran out of bounds. He always fought for every inch on the field. You don't see players do that these days. He was a class act.
Walter Peyton won a Superbowl on the 1985 bears which is one of the greatest teams ever with a historic defense. The "Greatest show on turf" 2000 Rams was a really good offensive team and they were really fun to watch. Walter Peyton was very similar to Jim Brown and broke his rushing records because he played longer. If Barry Sanders played longer than 7 seasons he would have set many more records. There's another historic Bears running back that was very similar to Barry and that was Gale Sayers. He also had a short career but was very very fast
Thanks, have a good read of this. I’ve loved watching them both so far and we definitely plan on doing follow up videos for both. Just checked if Gale Sayers was on our list, can confirm Sayers is!
@@DNReactsThe 85 Bears would make for a fantastic reaction video. Bears fans rightly get mocked for not being able to let the 85 team go, but it was a fantastic team full of huge characters. A team with multiple future Hall of Famers full of eccentric personalities at a time where the NFL was going through a major culture shift. AFAIK they are the only team to place as high as #41 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earn a Grammy Nomination. Not a band singing about the Bears, a song by the Bears themselves they filmed a week after their first (and only) loss that season.
Hey guys thanks for watching this one about Sweetness, as a kid growing up he was one of my favorites. Payton was one of the best on but especially off the field he was one of football greatest humanitarians. To answer your question he was only with the bears and for 13 years even on one of the greatest football teams in history in my opinion, the 85 bears. Sadly Walter Payton died from a rare cancer at age 46. But for me he will always be the greatest running back ever.
Thanks Bryan, hope you enjoyed. We really did and will definitely to more Walter when we can! We heard about 85 in the comments and we’ve added that season to our list and hopefully can take a look. Sounds like he was an incredible person!
Walter "Sweetness" Payton was not only a wonderful player, but just a wonderful person. Ironically, the nickname "sweetness" applied both to his running on the field, as well as how he treated people around him. Not a single player, coach, family member or fan has EVER said one bad word about Walter Payton off the field. Even players from other teams respected him for what he did as a player and a person, most of which interacted with him during the off-season in countless appearances to help youth clubs and organizations for charity.
I saw him driving a blue IROC Z28 with license plate 34 on I94 once. He was doing a 100. No cop in Chicago would stop him. He was a god in Chicago in the 80s.
Payton played his whole ,career with the bears. He actually won a super bowl in his 11th season. Every football fan was glad to see him make it that year. He retired with the most career rushing yards ever.
The great Jim Brown used to be asked about possible running backs that might exceed his all-time career yardage. For majority of the players whose names were brought up he did not show them that much respect. But when Walter Payton's name was brought up as a possible running back to exceed his career yardage he had a completely different answer. For Walter Payton's he said he hopes Walter Payton is the one and when he sets the new record he hopes he will be allowed on the field to shake his hand and congratulate him.
He used to run up the hill near the house I grew up in. My dad got to meet him when he worked at the mall in the suburbs. He was such a great human and the best running back of all time. He could do it all. Catch, run, and throw. He died way too young. Cancer sucks. I was born in 93 and never got to see him play. Just hearing my dad talk about him made him my favorite player of all time. Hopefully the bears return to greatness this year! Knock on wood! Oh and they called him sweetness due to his soft voice and gentle personality. He was genuinely an amazing person. I’m lucky to have a signed note that says “to Louie, best wishes -sweetness Walter Payton” since me and my dad have the same name. I also have an OJ Simpson autograph that says “to Louie best wishes OJ” lol that one is a bit more controversial. I’m lucky to have my fathers name, he loves Chicago sports just as much as I do.
My childhood hero Growing up in Chicago in the 70-80’s….he is a genuine Great HUMANITARIAN..that is why the Walter Payton Award 🥇 is coveted by NFL players….but his nickname came from how he was as 🏃🏿♂️ running back he was just so sweet to watch run….as A bears 🐻 fan…the Bears eventually got a Great team around him in the 80’s…the 85 bears defense is the standard all other SUPERDEFENSE’s are measured by….where as Barry NEVER got the help he needed and retired before eventually he would have been HURT bad 😢….when you see Barry and Walter scrambling like that the instant the ball is hiked😮 they really was running for their lives…that is why Pro bowl Level Offensive Linemen make $10-20 Million a year 😂😂😂😂
It should also be noted that the NFL's Man of the Year award is named after him. Literally an amazing human being on or off the field. (Didn't see that mentioned, but I didn't go through every comment)
I'd almost forgotten how great Walter Peyton was especially when he was younger watching these clips. Imagine if he had a great O-Line or decent QB in those years.
Franco Harris and Emmitt Smith played for teams that were usually ahead and therefore they had a lot of carries in the 4th quarters of games, against tired defenders.
Payton received his nickname not only through his demeanor but also his sweet moves. It was a name originally given to him when he came out of college. Sanders was an amazing running back But he quit because he didn't have a good team around him. Payton played 11 seasons without a pro bowl lineman in front of him. It took about 6 or 7 seasons for the Bears to get a decent team around him, and then of course they won in 1985. Payton was the greatest all around back to ever have played the game. Eric dickerson antonio's doorset were good running backs what couldn't Hold on to the ball. Tomlinson admits that he patterned his running style after Payton. Image smith, who broke walters all time leaning rushing mark, admits that payton was the greatest of all time I remember Walter playing and I'm from Chicago. So I might be a little biased. Thanks for taking the time to put this review up. We old timers who remember these games appreciate it
SWEEETNESS!! The best ever in my book. It's not just the quickness or just the power, it's the combination of the two. He was quick enough to get away from anyone who could bring him down, and powerful enough to run over anyone who he couldn't get away from. Similar in a sense, for me, to Lawrence Taylor. Too strong for those who were quick enough to stay with him, and too quick to those who were strong enough to stop him.
I don't know why he was called Sweetness, but to me it was because he was such a good human being. He had a charity for inner city kids of Chicago, and he just spoke as a good hearted man.
Walter rarely, if ever, ran out of bounds. He wasn't a big guy- (5'10", 200lbs 330cm, 90.7Kg) but he liked putting his head down and punishing oncoming secondary for trying to tackle him. Walter kept himself in great shape, strong and limber. Flexible enough to be a "slippery" runner, but strong enough to block linemen and linebackers. He excelled at everything his position required of him - run, catch, block, tackle, punt return. He threw 8 touchdown passes and even kicked 1 punt for 39 yards in his rookie season.
Walter Peyton was a pure natural talent... sweetness moved with such grace on the feild ...i remember watching Walter dominate complete front lines with his brute strength... great reaction guys
He was given the moniker Sweetness by his offensive linemen for his sweet disposition. When interviewed after games, he always gave credit to his offensive line who he would take out to steak dinners. He trained really hard, was extremely strong, and used his forearm as what was called "the club".
I grew up watching the 70's Bears. The offence was "Payton, Payton, Pass, Punt". When you see more of the American game, you'll see Payton was the best runner, the best blocker, the best receiver, and the best kick returner in the NFL from 77-82 or so. At one point, he even played quarterback due to others getting injured. Came from a small college, massive work ethic, good guy.
Not only was he an outstanding player he was an outstanding human being. All of Chicago loved Walter Payton and mourned his passing. He was one of a kind. You should watch a video about the ‘85 Bears. It was “Da Bears” most fantastic season and Payton was part of it and The Super Bowl Shuffle. RIP Walter.
It was nice to hear that you guys will react to more of Walter Payton in the future. He was a fascinating football player with an unbelievable career and story. I don't want to give away too much, but you will get goosebumps at his overall career and story.
In terms of one guy kind of "carrying" a team, I think of Barry Sanders first. The reason for that is because the Bears eventually did build a great team around Walter Payton, winning the '85 Super Bowl and dominating the league. The Lions during Barry Sanders' career never even got to the Super Bowl, as far as I remember. I'm not even sure they made the playoffs much, or at all.
YAAAAASSSSSS!!!! My favorite player growing up. Payton was the GOAT. He only played on two good teams in his entire career and he still put up crazy numbers.
It’s funny and fitting that you guys started with Barry Sanders because he is, in many opinions, the greatest running back to ever touch a football. Walter Payton is incredible as well. I hope that by starting with the 2 greatest it doesn’t set your expectations too high moving forward 😅 With that being said, I would love for you guys to react to Mike Alstott. He’s one of my favorite players of all time with an old school unique play style that is hard to find anymore. Love your content, keep it up!
I’m so honest I said to Nick with these titles called will we be impressed…..I’m going to completely freak out if we come across a suggestion we aren’t 😂 Just checked your suggestion against our list and he’s on there! And thank you, really appreciate your support and having you with us for our journey.
There are a ton of great RBs throughout the years. One they didn't mention is Earl Campbell. He could run you over or outrun you. And the people who saw him when he was playing will always comment about is how big his thighs were. There are some interesting highlights of Earl and his runs. One where he head butt a guy in the chest and kept on running.
@@eurofritz4617 There are more than a few people that would disagree with you on that. Earl was know for how big his thighs were and that is from NFL players themselves.
Sweetness was a huge part of my childhood. He was something special. People probably have said it but of all the awards players can win, many feel like the most valuable individual award is the "Walter Payton Man of the Year Award". "The NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award goes to the player who shows an excellence off the field with their charity work and their efforts to give back to their community". Players who win it are a different breed, just like he was.
Yeah it’s been mentioned Joe, but it’s such an incredible thing and definitely highlights just how great of a person he was. We will definitely be coming back to do more Walter.
I didn't grow up a Bears fan, but I remember as a young lad in New Jersey chucking around the Nerf football with friends and everyone trying to act as if they could do it like Sweetness.
He had a lot of emotion. I got to hang out in a hotel lobby with him for an hour. I was a kid, he was just playful. Kept grabbing my hat and running around the lobby with it so I would chase him. He said his wife heard me and my friend talking about him in the elevator. (i didnt know who she was) so she sent him down to hangout with us kids. Just me and my friend. great memory
Barry Sanders was the best pure runner I ever watched, but Walter Payton was the best running back to ever play. He could run, catch and was a really good blocker as well.
Highly recommend watching Payton's highlight video. This only captures one year and he accomplished so much. Plus Eric Dickerson is definitely another one to check out, one of my favorite running backs, not flashy, just smooth as silk running while racking up huge yards.
I have to mention just in case it didn’t get commented yet (sorry for coming to this late)… Payton played 13 seasons with the Bears. Became the all-time leading rusher for yards and touchdowns, and for 100 yard games in a career, in 1984 (his 10th season). He retired with more receptions by a running back than anyone, and set the record for most 1000 yard seasons rushing and the most seasons over 2000 yards from scrimmage (rushing yards + receiving yards). He also threw 9 touchdown passes (more than any other running back since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970). Along with the 1977 season in the video, he carried the ball more than anyone for 4 consecutive seasons, because he was the only weapon on the team. He never played with a pro bowl receiver or one that had a 1000 yard season. He had to carry the load… leading the Bears in receptions for 8 of the 13 seasons he played (including 1985 when they won the Super Bowl… his 11th season). That was the most prolific 11th season by a running back, ever (over 1500 yards rushing, over 2000 combined yards, 11 touchdowns plus a passing touchdown). Just about all of his records have been passed up by one running back or another, but he still rates high for all of them. This was a great video… but you also need to enjoy a pure highlight video. I posted a couple above. 😊
I like this video because it gives you some context instead of just a simple high-light reel. I think it's worth noting that the current NFL running back all-time leader for yards gained is a Dallas Cowboys running back named Emmitt Smith. Smith was a great running back - and even though he's the all time rushing leader - nobody considers him the greatest running back of all time because he was very lucky - he had the greatest offensive line in front of him. Smith was lucky - he played on a team with great quarterback, wide receivers, and again - the greatest offensive line of all time. The big guys up front matter. They are the unsung heros - the soldiers down in the trenches - creating the opportunities for the offense to work. If you have a chance - watch the video of Larry Allen - he was the best of that Cowboys' offensive line - he was an amazing athlete. He was the size of a sumo wrestler - yet he was incredibly fast and agile. He's a big part of the reason that Emmitt Smith was able to run for so many yards. Thanks for your reaction.
Thank you Jedd, appreciate the comment, was a great read. Interestingly, we’ve got Smith on our suggestions list to review so that’ll be interesting. We’ve also got Larry Allan on there too and he was part of a recent poll we did so won’t be far away!
he was a class act on and off the field. there is good reason why the NFL has a Walter Payton Man of the Year award given every year to the player who most exhibits humanitarian charitable acts.
He is the savior of Chicago. The one man all native Illinoians love and admire. He was truly someone to emulate in life. A leader and kind soul, by example.
Walter's workouts were incredible as well. He ran uphill sprints among other things. RIP we lost him way too soon. Bears have a couple of storied running backs including the story of Brian Piccolo and Gayle Sayers..
He was named sweetness because his moves were so sweet, side steps, jukes and jives, then the after burners. Walter Payton created his own holes to run through or over. He also gave back to the community and the youth. His family is proof of his sweetness as well. Walter Payton was my idol growing up as a high school football player. I agree with you guys on Barry Sanders also. They both were amazing running backs, and they both had the ability to side step defenders among the other amazing raw talent to elude defenders. Of all of the great running backs, I would rank sweetness, my favorite, followed closely by Barry Sanders and Marcus Allen.
He got the nickname Sweetness from the first time he was on national TV. The first time he was on national TV was not from football but from dancing on a show called Soul Train. His dancing was so good they called him Sweetness!
To add to the Sweetness moniker.. a friend of mine had his car break down on the highway near downtown Chicago. I believe it was 1984 or 85. A black Mercedes pulls over and offers my friend to use his car phone. Yes it was Walter. Practically no one had phones in their cars back then. My friend called a tow truck and thanked Walter profusely. Just a great human being.
His training regiments were insane; it's gone now, but there was a steep hill in Chicago he would run up and down, a lot of loose soil and rocks; he would invite other teammates and NFL guys to train w/them, and they struggled to do it. He also grew up in the south, and would run alongside a river where the ground was soaked. People that tried to run w/him said they couldn't figure out how he did it b/c it didn't seem like there was solid ground. Dude was just an absolute beast, you could see the endurance, strength and balance on the field.
Thanks for highlighting Walter Peyton. He was, arguably, the best running back of all time. Emmet Smith from the Dallas Cowboys has the most career yardage, but he played on a very strong team. The Bears did have some good teams over Peyton's career, but they were mostly known for defense. The 1985 Bears were one of the best teams of all times, and Peyton did get to play with them, but the team was broken up in the off season, mostly because the owners didn't want to pay the salaries. Peyton played two more years, rounding off his amazing career.
Walter was a phenomenal man, not perfect, but he brightened up the day of anyone you put him in front of. He was so down to earth and just a great guy to talk to and be around. Hence why everyone called him; Sweetness 😎👉👉
Both Barry and Walter would play their entire careers with their teams, and both were the defining players on their offensive game plans. The only difference is that the Bears got better over time, while the Lions had more limited success. The Bears in 1985 would produce a LEGENDARY defense, combined with an offense with Walter, and would go on to be the best team in the league and win a lopsided Super Bowl.
RIP Walter Payton, the best football player EVER. Regardless of position, find a guy with that much heart per pound.... He continues to inspire even the best RB and various other football players to this day! SWEEEEEEETNESSSSSS!
I do think you're right that Patyon got the name sweetness not only from his demeanor but from his smoothness in the game. Walter Payton was gorgeous both on and off the field. And it was like he was waiting for the Bears to catch up with him. When the 1985 Bears came to be, it was an absolute thing of beauty. You have to remember, the Chicago Bears had never won a superbowl, and the Chicago teams of the other sports weren't exactly winning their championships a lot either (that's why it was such a big deal with the Cubs finally won the World Series in 2016. They'd won in 1907 and 1908, but it had been over a century since they won again). The Bears winning the superbowl in 1986 was a major thing in town. The best part about it was that the team really deserved winning that championship. That team was absolutely brilliant. Defense, offense. It was a joy to watch the season. The other teams didn't know what hit them. I think it was only one game they lost in the entire season. And on top of that, they were so fun off the field. Doing the Super Bowl Shuffle, enjoying the ride. They were having fun and inviting the fans for the ride. But it had to be really great for Payton who had been slogging away on that team, in some respects holding the team together, until that 1985 team coalesced into the perfect team. I don't know what game it was, all I remember was at some point, William "The Refrigerator" Perry actually picked Payton up and tossed him above the scrum of the opposing team and into the end zone. Now THAT'S a tight team. Of all the Bears of that year, and they were all brilliant, Payton had to be the most talented. Able to play a number of positions with skill and grace. But when he was let loose for those end runs, it was like watching a cheetah speeding by between the speed and the agility to avoid the players. Yet when he was tackled, he had the power to rise again. Thanks for reminding me of a really fun time for this Chicago gal. Interestingly, it was a few years after that the Bears would appear in an exhibition game in England when I managed to make my way of to your lovely shores. Had a blast. :)
They did a 30 for 30 (a sports documentary series) on the 1985 bears that's widely considered the greatest defense ever in football, and one of the defensive players talked about how he viewed 34 as the greatest football player of all time. Talked about how other HOF running backs would run from the defense, but during practices 34 would tell the defense to "bring it on". Sweetness really was the heart and sole of chicago
Thanks for this Trace. We’ve got the Legion of Boom on our list. I think this may be the one? Payton was incredible and we’d love to come back to him for more highlights and watches.
@DNReacts the legion of boom was from the 2010s ish Seattle seahawks and their defense. The big 3 defenses atleast to me is them, 2000s ravens defense with Ray Lewis and then the 1985 bears with the 46 defense.
A lot of the names that were thrown out at the end of the video are guys that had one or two great seasons, while most of the names you guys already have on your list are all time greats that had sustained production throughout their careers.
Payton played his entire NFL career (1975-1987) with the Bears - if a team wanted to keep a great veteran that was pretty much it, the NFL didn't adopt free agency until 1993. The 1985-1986 Bears were one of the greatest teams of all time, and Payton got to win the Superbowl, but unfortunately didn't score a touchdown in the game.
Oh and fun fact I just remembered! When I was a kid my parents would take me to see his son Jarrett Payton play soccer for St Viator here near Chicago. He opted to play soccer his first 2 years of high school and was named "All-state". Last 2 years he played football and ended up playing college ball at University of Miami. So needless to say, he was quite the athlete like his father!
For context-I’m 53 and have watched NFL all my life, and despite others now in the record books, Walter Payton was the best I’ve seen followed by Sanders.
I love your channel. I truly appreciate your receptiveness to American football. I played College American football, was offered a rugby contract in Wales, and love both sports. I started a rugby club in Iraq. Despite the differences in set play, rugby and American football draw the same sort of great guys. Walter was the sort of hit I would love to block for as an O-lineman in American football.
A video on the '85 Bears Super Bowl season would be incredible. They were a special story and captured the country's affection. They had some very big characters, made a song/video that the whole country knew, a number of the players were part of the pop culture of the day..Walter Payton, 'Punk rock' QB Jim McMahon (he had a mohawk haircut), William 'the Refrigerator' Perry, Mike Singletary, Willie Gault, Keith Van Horne, Richard Dent and Mike Ditka, a legendary coach. A special team and quite entertaining on and off the field.
You two definitely have the “sweetness” factor. It’s very endearing the effort you make to connect with your subscribers. I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’ve been following the OB boys from the start, and they are lovely, but not once have they responded or even liked one of my comments. So, I’m sure you two will do very well with your channel. I’m putting my vote in for Emmitt Smith. He’s another lovely and talented dude. 😊
Thanks you Johanna. Really appreciate the support and having you along for this journey! I fell asleep phone in hand a couple of nights ago half way through a comment reply 😅 Thanks for the suggestion, have got Emmitt Smith on our list, hopefully he won’t be too way away. Got him noted as a RB and we’ve really enjoying watching RBs too
Despite living an hour from Chicago, I was raised a Cowboys fan when I was young (Coach Landry relation), but I wasn't really an active football fan until after my 8th birthday (Jan 26th, 1986) and Super Bowl XX. After getting interested in all the hype I started to pay attention and have been a Bears fan ever since. Though I missed most of Walter Payton's career he had earned my love and his is still the only Chicago Jersey I own. Although records were made to be broken, I had wished that Payton's would never be. I would've been okay with Sanders breaking it, which he could have if he didn't retire (shame on you Lions) but I was disappointed when Smith broke it despite him being a Cowboy. Smith obviously accumulated enough yards to break the record, but I felt that Payton actually Earned the honor...
The greatest I EVER saw and I saw him play in person and met him several times in the 70s and 80s. Barry made you miss. Payton made you miss OR ran you over. He played 13 seasons and only missed one game. That's superhuman in the NFL.
Payton fought for every yard, every game. Even though his teams were almost always bad. He wouldn’t go out of bounds to avoid hits. He welcomed and delivered contact.
one thing that barry and walter have in common is nearly unparalleled character. They named the best citizen award for the nfl the walter payton award.
My heart goes out to Sanders just because he never saw a Super Bowl and retired having played for crappy teams his whole career. Sweetness got a Super Bowl ring at least with the '85 Bears. By comparison, I think Sanders only ever played five or six playoff games his ENTIRE career with the Lions. Sad.
Barry Sanders was amazing. An elusive back with serpentine running skills, he could make something out of nothing and in the process make it look impossible and easy at the same time. Walter Payton had elements of that in his running style, but he also would be an absolute brute, fully willing to lower his head and slam into any defender like a wrecking ball. If Walter Payton needed to go through you to reach the end zone, the first down marker, or even the extra half yard on his run, he had no fears. And if he hit you, you knew you'd been hit. He used to jog back to the huddle and laughingly ask his offensive linemen if they thought he'd hit a guy hard enough. Not bad for a guy who was 5'10" tall and 200 lbs. Payton was always adelight to watch, because even in his most workmanlike games you never knew when he'd pull off something amazing. The only guy of his, or perhaps any era, who I think hit harder was the 6'1" tall and 260 pound Christian Okoye, and there was a good reason they called him the Nigerian Nightmare. Too bad that Okoye's career, like that of the stellar Bo Jackson, was cut short by injuries.
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Do one of OJ Simpson.
He earned the name Sweetness deservedly, on and off the field. His generosity was even more impressive than his football prowess, and the Walter Payton Man of the Year honor is testament to this. I miss him terribly.
@Phil Jermakian I'm not sure what this has to do with being charitable tbh, but Payton was a very physical player playing an already physical game, so things like this were bound to happen.
Thanks for the context Brent! Sweetness sounds like he was an incredible guy. We’ll definitely revisit Sweetness again at some point on this channel.
*We miss him terribly.
@@DNReacts the NFL's man of the year award which is awarded to the "best player on and off the field" - basically a good player who also does good stuff off the field is named the Walter Payton Man of the Year award
@DN Reacts also back then people said "sweet" for awesome stuff
He also only missed only one career game despite the punishment he took (and delivered). A true warrior.
Wow!! To only miss one game throughout an entire career is just incredible. Let alone when you’re probably the most targeted player every game!
Other than 85 as well didnt have much of a team to help him for years
The one game he missed was his rookie year and he wanted to play. Was the coach who kept him out.
@@billybrasky4278 here’s to Bill Brasky! 🍺🍻
Much respect. I’ve had that screen name for years and you are the first person who got it 🍺
He played his whole career with the Bears until his death from liver disease in 1999. Was a part of the legendary 1985 Bears team that won the SB.
Thanks pushpak. Really glad he won a SB too! Seeing the comments around his first 7 or so years with the Bears it feels like a fitting moment
Ahhh, Sweetness. Gone too soon.
@@DNReacts I will always have bad thoughts about coach Mike Ditka not letting Walter score a TD in the Superbowl
@@eurofritz4617 same here. I’m still pissed at ditka for that. That was criminal.
not just was a part of. he was basically the entire offense of that team (which of course had the greatest defense in NFL history)
Sweetness! My favorite back.
Walter played his entire career with Chicago. When he retired he was the all time leading rusher, and held the single game rushing record as well with 275 yards in one game. He also threw for several touchdowns, caught touchdowns, returned touchdowns, all while being the man every defender knew was going to get the ball and couldn’t stop. He was the greatest that my eyes ever saw.
Also, I believe he never missed one game.
An all round Legend it feels Jamison. Thanks for this. In time we’ll come back with more Walter and hear the story of his full career and life too, as he sounds like an incredible guy too.
@@craxanshards3139 just missed the one game
Your eyes must have somehow not watched his absurd fumble rate. He had more than 2x the fumbles of Barry Sanders, 25 more fumbles than Emmitt Smith, 50!!! more fumbles than Marshall Faulk, etc. He was good, but being an insane fumbler kills a lot of any value he provided.
@@jasonjanisewski78 speaking of Barry, No Player has more runs for negative yards than he did. A lot of runs for losses. Every player has their flaws
As a Bears fan, one of the most amazing things to me about Payton wasn't even how much of a beast he was on the field, but just how he carried himself through life. Some examples can be seen in this video, but he would often give the football to his teammates after a touchdown to let them celebrate instead. In his 13-year career he only ever missed a single game. A humble, generous, and kind man, it's no mystery why the NFL renamed the Man of the Year award after him. Walter Payton really is a person worth looking up to, more than just an amazing athlete. Great video.
He sounds like an amazing man on and off the field! Appreciate your comment!
My two favorite running backs are Walter Payton and Barry Sanders (and this is coming from a Cowboys fan).
I love Barry for his amazing Houdini like runs but Walter had a determination that was unbelievable. Walter was the most complete back I ever saw, explosive runs, could catch the ball and turn it upfield and his blocking was unmatched.
Both ran behind mediocre lines, just showcases how incredible they really were.
Agree 100%. Lifelong Cowboy fan here, too. Emmitt had a huge O-line. Neither Payton nor Sanders had that luxury.
Your guy Emmitt loved and admired Walter.
He wasn't a "big" guy running over/through defensemen. He was 5'10" tall and weighed around 200 lbs. Amazing player.
Running up those hills in the Mississippi heat & humidity during the off season. Doesn't sound like fun. That's some work ethic & dedication.
@@MrDevtun He may have run up some hills in Mississippi, but he was more known for regularly training on a hill near his house in the Chicago suburbs.
He had hands like godzilla and thighs like tree trunks.And never ran outta bounds
There will never be another back to run the ball like Walter. He had explosive power and speed, the moves and grace of a Barry Sanders, and incredible hands. Sweetness was also the greatest blocking back in NFL history! He never ran out of bounds and wanted to run defenders over ...he loved contact! He was without any doubt, the GREATEST to ever put on the uniform. RIP my childhood hero.
Great comment, thank you so much for posting 🙏
Great human being as well
Was just gonna say. It’s no accident the NFL’s annual Man of the Year award is called the Walter Payton Award. I got a lump in my throat, just writing this.
Heart, Determination and Balance .. Sweetness !
He became the NFL record holder for Career rushing yrds, 16,726 . Most 100yrd rushing games, 77 and tied with most 1,000yrd seasons, 10 .
Another great running back to watch is Jim Brown. He was the best running back of his era.
Thanks John, got him on the list!
Jim Brown was the greatest running back when he retired.. Until Walter Payton passed him decades later... Then Barry passed Walter Payton.
Jim Brown was the best running back ever. I think I would rank Payton 2.
They call him Sweetness because of his running style that made it sweet for fans to watch. Also, because he was a genuinely good person off the field, unfortunately, he died young because of a rare disease. Amazing and tragic stories in all of sports
I thought so! Thanks for clarifying. That’s a massive shame!
Walter was LEGENDARY for his off-season training
They called him Sweetness because of his dance moves. He could tear it up on the dance flow. It just carried over to the football field. Also, Payton had incredible leg strength because he was notorious in the offseason for running up a giant hill all the time. It was a brutal workout that no one else could really do, there are videos on that as well.
He got the nickname was when in HS is voice was so high pitched they’d call him sweetness
Thanks Kurt. So many variations of how he landed the nickname. I don’t fancy that hill workout 😅
It's cool that I 2:27 the announcers say that he has a great attitude because shortly after Paton died, the NFL renamed their Man of the Year award for outstanding contributions both on and off the field after him. Now most players want to wind that award even more than the Most Valuable Player award.
When Barry Sanders retired, he was one season from breaking Payton's all time career rushing record. Others have broken them since, but Payton was the best I ever saw play.
I vote that you react to Earl Campbell. He was a monster on the field. He’d run you over or just flat out run you. I remember watching him as a kid and was amazed at his tenacity
I second that suggestion!
Earl campbell was a beast but not in the same class as payton but i give him his props
Payton was always my favorite NFL player. He never ran out of bounds. He always fought for every inch on the field. You don't see players do that these days. He was a class act.
Walter Peyton won a Superbowl on the 1985 bears which is one of the greatest teams ever with a historic defense. The "Greatest show on turf" 2000 Rams was a really good offensive team and they were really fun to watch. Walter Peyton was very similar to Jim Brown and broke his rushing records because he played longer. If Barry Sanders played longer than 7 seasons he would have set many more records. There's another historic Bears running back that was very similar to Barry and that was Gale Sayers. He also had a short career but was very very fast
Thanks, have a good read of this. I’ve loved watching them both so far and we definitely plan on doing follow up videos for both. Just checked if Gale Sayers was on our list, can confirm Sayers is!
@@DNReactsThe 85 Bears would make for a fantastic reaction video. Bears fans rightly get mocked for not being able to let the 85 team go, but it was a fantastic team full of huge characters. A team with multiple future Hall of Famers full of eccentric personalities at a time where the NFL was going through a major culture shift. AFAIK they are the only team to place as high as #41 on the Billboard Hot 100 and earn a Grammy Nomination. Not a band singing about the Bears, a song by the Bears themselves they filmed a week after their first (and only) loss that season.
Hey guys thanks for watching this one about Sweetness, as a kid growing up he was one of my favorites. Payton was one of the best on but especially off the field he was one of football greatest humanitarians. To answer your question he was only with the bears and for 13 years even on one of the greatest football teams in history in my opinion, the 85 bears. Sadly Walter Payton died from a rare cancer at age 46. But for me he will always be the greatest running back ever.
BEAR DOWN!
Thanks Bryan, hope you enjoyed. We really did and will definitely to more Walter when we can! We heard about 85 in the comments and we’ve added that season to our list and hopefully can take a look. Sounds like he was an incredible person!
Walter "Sweetness" Payton was not only a wonderful player, but just a wonderful person. Ironically, the nickname "sweetness" applied both to his running on the field, as well as how he treated people around him. Not a single player, coach, family member or fan has EVER said one bad word about Walter Payton off the field. Even players from other teams respected him for what he did as a player and a person, most of which interacted with him during the off-season in countless appearances to help youth clubs and organizations for charity.
I saw him driving a blue
IROC Z28 with license plate 34 on I94 once. He was doing a 100. No cop in Chicago would stop him. He was a god in Chicago in the 80s.
Payton played his whole ,career with the bears. He actually won a super bowl in his 11th season. Every football fan was glad to see him make it that year. He retired with the most career rushing yards ever.
The great Jim Brown used to be asked about possible running backs that might exceed his all-time career yardage. For majority of the players whose names were brought up he did not show them that much respect. But when Walter Payton's name was brought up as a possible running back to exceed his career yardage he had a completely different answer. For Walter Payton's he said he hopes Walter Payton is the one and when he sets the new record he hopes he will be allowed on the field to shake his hand and congratulate him.
He used to run up the hill near the house I grew up in. My dad got to meet him when he worked at the mall in the suburbs. He was such a great human and the best running back of all time. He could do it all. Catch, run, and throw. He died way too young. Cancer sucks. I was born in 93 and never got to see him play. Just hearing my dad talk about him made him my favorite player of all time. Hopefully the bears return to greatness this year! Knock on wood! Oh and they called him sweetness due to his soft voice and gentle personality. He was genuinely an amazing person. I’m lucky to have a signed note that says “to Louie, best wishes -sweetness Walter Payton” since me and my dad have the same name. I also have an OJ Simpson autograph that says “to Louie best wishes OJ” lol that one is a bit more controversial. I’m lucky to have my fathers name, he loves Chicago sports just as much as I do.
Payton was known to give the ball to a lineman after scoring so they could spike it which showed that he appreciated their work.
My childhood hero Growing up in Chicago in the 70-80’s….he is a genuine Great HUMANITARIAN..that is why the Walter Payton Award 🥇 is coveted by NFL players….but his nickname came from how he was as 🏃🏿♂️ running back he was just so sweet to watch run….as A bears 🐻 fan…the Bears eventually got a Great team around him in the 80’s…the 85 bears defense is the standard all other SUPERDEFENSE’s are measured by….where as Barry NEVER got the help he needed and retired before eventually he would have been HURT bad 😢….when you see Barry and Walter scrambling like that the instant the ball is hiked😮 they really was running for their lives…that is why Pro bowl Level Offensive Linemen make $10-20 Million a year 😂😂😂😂
Thanks Pierre, was a great comment to read!
@@DNReacts Imagine a coked up Lawrence Taylor coming after you and you have an absolute shit O-Line🫣…..Literally running for your life🤣🤣🤣
One of the greatest RB of all time.. and a better human being
He is Sweetness, he played the game Beautifully and he wasn’t a big guy 200 lbs. He was like a Pit Bull, he played the game with heart and honor.
It should also be noted that the NFL's Man of the Year award is named after him. Literally an amazing human being on or off the field. (Didn't see that mentioned, but I didn't go through every comment)
The man, the myth, the legend.
You'll also have to check out the 85 Bears defense. Eventually, he got the team he deserved.
Thanks Jared, I’ve added this suggestion to our list!
I'd almost forgotten how great Walter Peyton was especially when he was younger watching these clips. Imagine if he had a great O-Line or decent QB in those years.
Franco Harris and Emmitt Smith played for teams that were usually ahead and therefore they had a lot of carries in the 4th quarters of games, against tired defenders.
Legend, just a legend.
Once while eluding a would-be tackler, he yelled out to the defender, “Your sweetness is your weakness!”
Payton received his nickname not only through his demeanor but also his sweet moves. It was a name originally given to him when he came out of college. Sanders was an amazing running back But he quit because he didn't have a good team around him. Payton played 11 seasons without a pro bowl lineman in front of him. It took about 6 or 7 seasons for the Bears to get a decent team around him, and then of course they won in 1985. Payton was the greatest all around back to ever have played the game. Eric dickerson antonio's doorset were good running backs what couldn't Hold on to the ball. Tomlinson admits that he patterned his running style after Payton. Image smith, who broke walters all time leaning rushing mark, admits that payton was the greatest of all time I remember Walter playing and I'm from Chicago. So I might be a little biased. Thanks for taking the time to put this review up. We old timers who remember these games appreciate it
Greatest All Around Football Player Ever! Run, throw, kick, catch... And tackle. Lol
SWEEETNESS!! The best ever in my book. It's not just the quickness or just the power, it's the combination of the two. He was quick enough to get away from anyone who could bring him down, and powerful enough to run over anyone who he couldn't get away from. Similar in a sense, for me, to Lawrence Taylor. Too strong for those who were quick enough to stay with him, and too quick to those who were strong enough to stop him.
peyton was the goat rb. LT was the goat player imo
I don't know why he was called Sweetness, but to me it was because he was such a good human being. He had a charity for inner city kids of Chicago, and he just spoke as a good hearted man.
There’s been so many comments saying the name originated for different reasons. But this is the one I really wanted it to be!
Walter rarely, if ever, ran out of bounds. He wasn't a big guy- (5'10", 200lbs 330cm, 90.7Kg) but he liked putting his head down and punishing oncoming secondary for trying to tackle him. Walter kept himself in great shape, strong and limber. Flexible enough to be a "slippery" runner, but strong enough to block linemen and linebackers. He excelled at everything his position required of him - run, catch, block, tackle, punt return. He threw 8 touchdown passes and even kicked 1 punt for 39 yards in his rookie season.
Walter Peyton was a pure natural talent... sweetness moved with such grace on the feild ...i remember watching Walter dominate complete front lines with his brute strength... great reaction guys
The great one !!! One of the best player and human. Those are the reasons they named a award after him. God bless, sweetness.
He sounds like he was an awesome guy Mark. One of a kind!
He was given the moniker Sweetness by his offensive linemen for his sweet disposition. When interviewed after games, he always gave credit to his offensive line who he would take out to steak dinners. He trained really hard, was extremely strong, and used his forearm as what was called "the club".
I grew up watching the 70's Bears. The offence was "Payton, Payton, Pass, Punt". When you see more of the American game, you'll see Payton was the best runner, the best blocker, the best receiver, and the best kick returner in the NFL from 77-82 or so. At one point, he even played quarterback due to others getting injured. Came from a small college, massive work ethic, good guy.
Not only was he an outstanding player he was an outstanding human being. All of Chicago loved Walter Payton and mourned his passing. He was one of a kind. You should watch a video about the ‘85 Bears. It was “Da Bears” most fantastic season and Payton was part of it and The Super Bowl Shuffle. RIP Walter.
Simply put, He was the epitome of greatness.
It was nice to hear that you guys will react to more of Walter Payton in the future. He was a fascinating football player with an unbelievable career and story. I don't want to give away too much, but you will get goosebumps at his overall career and story.
Definitely be coming back for more Walter Payton. Sounds like his story is one we have to hear! Can’t wait
Yes!
In terms of one guy kind of "carrying" a team, I think of Barry Sanders first. The reason for that is because the Bears eventually did build a great team around Walter Payton, winning the '85 Super Bowl and dominating the league. The Lions during Barry Sanders' career never even got to the Super Bowl, as far as I remember. I'm not even sure they made the playoffs much, or at all.
Priest Holmes was an absolute beast. He had a career ending hip injury early in his career.
YAAAAASSSSSS!!!! My favorite player growing up. Payton was the GOAT. He only played on two good teams in his entire career and he still put up crazy numbers.
Walter is the best of all time. Never got hurt.😎🇺🇲👍🌟💯
It’s funny and fitting that you guys started with Barry Sanders because he is, in many opinions, the greatest running back to ever touch a football. Walter Payton is incredible as well. I hope that by starting with the 2 greatest it doesn’t set your expectations too high moving forward 😅
With that being said, I would love for you guys to react to Mike Alstott. He’s one of my favorite players of all time with an old school unique play style that is hard to find anymore. Love your content, keep it up!
I’m so honest I said to Nick with these titles called will we be impressed…..I’m going to completely freak out if we come across a suggestion we aren’t 😂 Just checked your suggestion against our list and he’s on there! And thank you, really appreciate your support and having you with us for our journey.
Sweetness is the GOAT. Barry was great but couldn't truck people or block like Walter.
There are a ton of great RBs throughout the years. One they didn't mention is Earl Campbell. He could run you over or outrun you. And the people who saw him when he was playing will always comment about is how big his thighs were. There are some interesting highlights of Earl and his runs. One where he head butt a guy in the chest and kept on running.
NFL + Thighs only means one player . . . Robert Newhouse aka The House
@@eurofritz4617 There are more than a few people that would disagree with you on that. Earl was know for how big his thighs were and that is from NFL players themselves.
Sweetness was a huge part of my childhood. He was something special. People probably have said it but of all the awards players can win, many feel like the most valuable individual award is the "Walter Payton Man of the Year Award". "The NFL's Walter Payton Man of the Year Award goes to the player who shows an excellence off the field with their charity work and their efforts to give back to their community". Players who win it are a different breed, just like he was.
Yeah it’s been mentioned Joe, but it’s such an incredible thing and definitely highlights just how great of a person he was. We will definitely be coming back to do more Walter.
For what its worth, Walter Payton won a superbowl in the '85 season, but the Bears defense was also phenomenal.
I didn't grow up a Bears fan, but I remember as a young lad in New Jersey chucking around the Nerf football with friends and everyone trying to act as if they could do it like Sweetness.
He had a lot of emotion. I got to hang out in a hotel lobby with him for an hour. I was a kid, he was just playful. Kept grabbing my hat and running around the lobby with it so I would chase him. He said his wife heard me and my friend talking about him in the elevator. (i didnt know who she was) so she sent him down to hangout with us kids. Just me and my friend. great memory
Barry Sanders was the best pure runner I ever watched, but Walter Payton was the best running back to ever play. He could run, catch and was a really good blocker as well.
Highly recommend watching Payton's highlight video. This only captures one year and he accomplished so much. Plus Eric Dickerson is definitely another one to check out, one of my favorite running backs, not flashy, just smooth as silk running while racking up huge yards.
I have to mention just in case it didn’t get commented yet (sorry for coming to this late)… Payton played 13 seasons with the Bears.
Became the all-time leading rusher for yards and touchdowns, and for 100 yard games in a career, in 1984 (his 10th season).
He retired with more receptions by a running back than anyone, and set the record for most 1000 yard seasons rushing and the most seasons over 2000 yards from scrimmage (rushing yards + receiving yards).
He also threw 9 touchdown passes (more than any other running back since the NFL-AFL merger in 1970).
Along with the 1977 season in the video, he carried the ball more than anyone for 4 consecutive seasons, because he was the only weapon on the team. He never played with a pro bowl receiver or one that had a 1000 yard season. He had to carry the load… leading the Bears in receptions for 8 of the 13 seasons he played (including 1985 when they won the Super Bowl… his 11th season). That was the most prolific 11th season by a running back, ever (over 1500 yards rushing, over 2000 combined yards, 11 touchdowns plus a passing touchdown).
Just about all of his records have been passed up by one running back or another, but he still rates high for all of them.
This was a great video… but you also need to enjoy a pure highlight video. I posted a couple above. 😊
I like this video because it gives you some context instead of just a simple high-light reel. I think it's worth noting that the current NFL running back all-time leader for yards gained is a Dallas Cowboys running back named Emmitt Smith. Smith was a great running back - and even though he's the all time rushing leader - nobody considers him the greatest running back of all time because he was very lucky - he had the greatest offensive line in front of him. Smith was lucky - he played on a team with great quarterback, wide receivers, and again - the greatest offensive line of all time. The big guys up front matter. They are the unsung heros - the soldiers down in the trenches - creating the opportunities for the offense to work. If you have a chance - watch the video of Larry Allen - he was the best of that Cowboys' offensive line - he was an amazing athlete. He was the size of a sumo wrestler - yet he was incredibly fast and agile. He's a big part of the reason that Emmitt Smith was able to run for so many yards. Thanks for your reaction.
Thank you Jedd, appreciate the comment, was a great read. Interestingly, we’ve got Smith on our suggestions list to review so that’ll be interesting. We’ve also got Larry Allan on there too and he was part of a recent poll we did so won’t be far away!
Sweetness!
he was a class act on and off the field. there is good reason why the NFL has a Walter Payton Man of the Year award given every year to the player who most exhibits humanitarian charitable acts.
Love this. Didn’t know about the award but just cements what a guy he must have been!
He is the savior of Chicago. The one man all native Illinoians love and admire. He was truly someone to emulate in life. A leader and kind soul, by example.
Best all around player ever. Kids won’t know….. but they rarely know a damn thing lol
He was great but best all around ever is a stretch. He is not even the unquestionable best at his position.
I agree. Payton is arguably the greatest football player ever.
Walter's workouts were incredible as well. He ran uphill sprints among other things. RIP we lost him way too soon. Bears have a couple of storied running backs including the story of Brian Piccolo and Gayle Sayers..
He was named sweetness because his moves were so sweet, side steps, jukes and jives, then the after burners. Walter Payton created his own holes to run through or over. He also gave back to the community and the youth. His family is proof of his sweetness as well. Walter Payton was my idol growing up as a high school football player. I agree with you guys on Barry Sanders also. They both were amazing running backs, and they both had the ability to side step defenders among the other amazing raw talent to elude defenders. Of all of the great running backs, I would rank sweetness, my favorite, followed closely by Barry Sanders and Marcus Allen.
He got the nickname Sweetness from the first time he was on national TV. The first time he was on national TV was not from football but from dancing on a show called Soul Train. His dancing was so good they called him Sweetness!
Because his running style was so sweet
To add to the Sweetness moniker.. a friend of mine had his car break down on the highway near downtown Chicago. I believe it was 1984 or 85. A black Mercedes pulls over and offers my friend to use his car phone. Yes it was Walter. Practically no one had phones in their cars back then. My friend called a tow truck and thanked Walter profusely. Just a great human being.
RIP
Walter Payton
1953-1999
He sadly died on November 1, 1999 at 46 due to complications from bile duct cancer but he’ll never be forgotten
His training regiments were insane; it's gone now, but there was a steep hill in Chicago he would run up and down, a lot of loose soil and rocks; he would invite other teammates and NFL guys to train w/them, and they struggled to do it. He also grew up in the south, and would run alongside a river where the ground was soaked. People that tried to run w/him said they couldn't figure out how he did it b/c it didn't seem like there was solid ground. Dude was just an absolute beast, you could see the endurance, strength and balance on the field.
When you have talent and wisdom, you have sweetness.
Thanks for highlighting Walter Peyton. He was, arguably, the best running back of all time. Emmet Smith from the Dallas Cowboys has the most career yardage, but he played on a very strong team. The Bears did have some good teams over Peyton's career, but they were mostly known for defense. The 1985 Bears were one of the best teams of all times, and Peyton did get to play with them, but the team was broken up in the off season, mostly because the owners didn't want to pay the salaries. Peyton played two more years, rounding off his amazing career.
Walter was a phenomenal man, not perfect, but he brightened up the day of anyone you put him in front of. He was so down to earth and just a great guy to talk to and be around. Hence why everyone called him; Sweetness 😎👉👉
He sounds like a great guy!
Both Barry and Walter would play their entire careers with their teams, and both were the defining players on their offensive game plans. The only difference is that the Bears got better over time, while the Lions had more limited success.
The Bears in 1985 would produce a LEGENDARY defense, combined with an offense with Walter, and would go on to be the best team in the league and win a lopsided Super Bowl.
He was great football player. He was greater human being. Passed away to young.
One of the best stiff arms ever
RIP Walter Payton, the best football player EVER. Regardless of position, find a guy with that much heart per pound.... He continues to inspire even the best RB and various other football players to this day! SWEEEEEEETNESSSSSS!
I do think you're right that Patyon got the name sweetness not only from his demeanor but from his smoothness in the game. Walter Payton was gorgeous both on and off the field. And it was like he was waiting for the Bears to catch up with him. When the 1985 Bears came to be, it was an absolute thing of beauty. You have to remember, the Chicago Bears had never won a superbowl, and the Chicago teams of the other sports weren't exactly winning their championships a lot either (that's why it was such a big deal with the Cubs finally won the World Series in 2016. They'd won in 1907 and 1908, but it had been over a century since they won again). The Bears winning the superbowl in 1986 was a major thing in town. The best part about it was that the team really deserved winning that championship. That team was absolutely brilliant. Defense, offense. It was a joy to watch the season. The other teams didn't know what hit them. I think it was only one game they lost in the entire season. And on top of that, they were so fun off the field. Doing the Super Bowl Shuffle, enjoying the ride. They were having fun and inviting the fans for the ride. But it had to be really great for Payton who had been slogging away on that team, in some respects holding the team together, until that 1985 team coalesced into the perfect team. I don't know what game it was, all I remember was at some point, William "The Refrigerator" Perry actually picked Payton up and tossed him above the scrum of the opposing team and into the end zone. Now THAT'S a tight team. Of all the Bears of that year, and they were all brilliant, Payton had to be the most talented. Able to play a number of positions with skill and grace. But when he was let loose for those end runs, it was like watching a cheetah speeding by between the speed and the agility to avoid the players. Yet when he was tackled, he had the power to rise again.
Thanks for reminding me of a really fun time for this Chicago gal. Interestingly, it was a few years after that the Bears would appear in an exhibition game in England when I managed to make my way of to your lovely shores. Had a blast. :)
When you get a chance, check out stories of the 1985 Bears and you'll see the magic of that team.
They did a 30 for 30 (a sports documentary series) on the 1985 bears that's widely considered the greatest defense ever in football, and one of the defensive players talked about how he viewed 34 as the greatest football player of all time. Talked about how other HOF running backs would run from the defense, but during practices 34 would tell the defense to "bring it on". Sweetness really was the heart and sole of chicago
Thanks for this Trace. We’ve got the Legion of Boom on our list. I think this may be the one? Payton was incredible and we’d love to come back to him for more highlights and watches.
@DNReacts the legion of boom was from the 2010s ish Seattle seahawks and their defense. The big 3 defenses atleast to me is them, 2000s ravens defense with Ray Lewis and then the 1985 bears with the 46 defense.
A lot of the names that were thrown out at the end of the video are guys that had one or two great seasons, while most of the names you guys already have on your list are all time greats that had sustained production throughout their careers.
Payton played his entire NFL career (1975-1987) with the Bears - if a team wanted to keep a great veteran that was pretty much it, the NFL didn't adopt free agency until 1993. The 1985-1986 Bears were one of the greatest teams of all time, and Payton got to win the Superbowl, but unfortunately didn't score a touchdown in the game.
Sweetness! The 🐐 and pride of Chi-town baby!
Oh and fun fact I just remembered! When I was a kid my parents would take me to see his son Jarrett Payton play soccer for St Viator here near Chicago. He opted to play soccer his first 2 years of high school and was named "All-state". Last 2 years he played football and ended up playing college ball at University of Miami. So needless to say, he was quite the athlete like his father!
He was also an incredible blocker and could throw for touchdowns and kick/punt the ball. Look for a video: Walter Payton Could Play Every Position.
Thanks for the suggestion Glen!
For context-I’m 53 and have watched NFL all my life, and despite others now in the record books, Walter Payton was the best I’ve seen followed by Sanders.
He was amazing! Thanks for the comment 😀
I think a lot of others feel the same way Adam. We really enjoyed watching Sweetness and will be back for more to hear his story
I love your channel. I truly appreciate your receptiveness to American football.
I played College American football, was offered a rugby contract in Wales, and love both sports.
I started a rugby club in Iraq.
Despite the differences in set play, rugby and American football draw the same sort of great guys.
Walter was the sort of hit I would love to block for as an O-lineman in American football.
Thank you! We really appreciate that! 😀
Barry Sanders is the G.O.A.T. but there is an award named after Walter called the NFL Man Of The Year Award, because Walter had the biggest heart.
A video on the '85 Bears Super Bowl season would be incredible. They were a special story and captured the country's affection. They had some very big characters, made a song/video that the whole country knew, a number of the players were part of the pop culture of the day..Walter Payton, 'Punk rock' QB Jim McMahon (he had a mohawk haircut), William 'the Refrigerator' Perry, Mike Singletary, Willie Gault, Keith Van Horne, Richard Dent and Mike Ditka, a legendary coach. A special team and quite entertaining on and off the field.
My GOAT sweetness and damn dudes y’all grow so fast. Another 1k subs whenever I’m here! Keep it up
Thanks Chad. We definitely will 👍
Gale Sayers was a great Bears running back whose career was cut short by injuries. Most people love to watch Sayer's highlights.
He’s from my home state and I’ve always been a huge fan of his-as a player and as a person.
You two definitely have the “sweetness” factor. It’s very endearing the effort you make to connect with your subscribers. I’ll let you in on a little secret. I’ve been following the OB boys from the start, and they are lovely, but not once have they responded or even liked one of my comments. So, I’m sure you two will do very well with your channel. I’m putting my vote in for Emmitt Smith. He’s another lovely and talented dude. 😊
Thanks you Johanna. Really appreciate the support and having you along for this journey! I fell asleep phone in hand a couple of nights ago half way through a comment reply 😅 Thanks for the suggestion, have got Emmitt Smith on our list, hopefully he won’t be too way away. Got him noted as a RB and we’ve really enjoying watching RBs too
Despite living an hour from Chicago, I was raised a Cowboys fan when I was young (Coach Landry relation), but I wasn't really an active football fan until after my 8th birthday (Jan 26th, 1986) and Super Bowl XX. After getting interested in all the hype I started to pay attention and have been a Bears fan ever since. Though I missed most of Walter Payton's career he had earned my love and his is still the only Chicago Jersey I own. Although records were made to be broken, I had wished that Payton's would never be. I would've been okay with Sanders breaking it, which he could have if he didn't retire (shame on you Lions) but I was disappointed when Smith broke it despite him being a Cowboy. Smith obviously accumulated enough yards to break the record, but I felt that Payton actually Earned the honor...
The greatest I EVER saw and I saw him play in person and met him several times in the 70s and 80s. Barry made you miss. Payton made you miss OR ran you over. He played 13 seasons and only missed one game. That's superhuman in the NFL.
You were very lucky to see him play!
Can't imagine being a defensive end and see Walter sweeping wide with, or without, blockers. Probably better to get blocked than run over.
@@DNReacts Very lucky. I've seen Payton and Michael Jordan play live. I'm from Chicago.
@@Cashcrop54 If you made that tackle, he let you know you were being hit and he played at only 205lbs. That's extraordinary for a HB.
@@warrenbfeagins great forearm and stiff arm too.
Payton fought for every yard, every game. Even though his teams were almost always bad. He wouldn’t go out of bounds to avoid hits. He welcomed and delivered contact.
one thing that barry and walter have in common is nearly unparalleled character. They named the best citizen award for the nfl the walter payton award.
All these RBs can be added to the list. There have been so many greats that it is easy to forget sometimes.
My heart goes out to Sanders just because he never saw a Super Bowl and retired having played for crappy teams his whole career. Sweetness got a Super Bowl ring at least with the '85 Bears. By comparison, I think Sanders only ever played five or six playoff games his ENTIRE career with the Lions. Sad.
Barry Sanders was amazing. An elusive back with serpentine running skills, he could make something out of nothing and in the process make it look impossible and easy at the same time. Walter Payton had elements of that in his running style, but he also would be an absolute brute, fully willing to lower his head and slam into any defender like a wrecking ball. If Walter Payton needed to go through you to reach the end zone, the first down marker, or even the extra half yard on his run, he had no fears. And if he hit you, you knew you'd been hit. He used to jog back to the huddle and laughingly ask his offensive linemen if they thought he'd hit a guy hard enough. Not bad for a guy who was 5'10" tall and 200 lbs. Payton was always adelight to watch, because even in his most workmanlike games you never knew when he'd pull off something amazing.
The only guy of his, or perhaps any era, who I think hit harder was the 6'1" tall and 260 pound Christian Okoye, and there was a good reason they called him the Nigerian Nightmare. Too bad that Okoye's career, like that of the stellar Bo Jackson, was cut short by injuries.