Walter Payton a Part of Buccaneers History
(November 2, 1999)

The man known as Sweetness, passed away yesterday at the age of forty-five. A rare liver disease and cancer took the life the NFL's all-time leading rusher. While the name Walter Payton is permanently etched in the NFL record books, he is being remembered for his gentle nature and sense of humor. Walter Payton truly was a class act.

His accomplishments on the football field are staggering. All time leading rusher with 16,726 yards, record 275 yards in a 1977 game against Minnesota, ten 1,000 seasons, 100 yard game 77 times, 110 rushing touchdowns, NFL record 21,803 combined yards and the all time leading pass receiver for the Bears with 492 receptions. The durable back only missed one game over thirteen season.

Was Walter Payton the best running back to ever play the game? The two names sometimes mentioned in the same breath as Payton are Jim Brown and Barry Sanders. Brown ran for 12,312 yards over nine season with a 5.2 yard per carry average. Sanders is the second leading all time rusher and would have surpassed Payton had he stuck around another season or two. The argument can be effectively made that Jim Brown and Barry Sanders were better pure runners than Walter Payton. The difference is that Payton was a great pass receiver and a ferocious blocker, a claim that cannot be made by the other two. Naming the greatest is always subjective, but for my money it is Walter Payton. If personal character was included in the equation, it would not even be close.

The last couple of days have been for reflection on a great player and a wonderful person. Watching some of the highlights of a lustrous career has been the pleasure coming out of the sadness. The stiff-arm, that little high-step in the open field, dragging defenders for extra yardage and the leap into the end zone. The Super Bowl shuffle and the head bands at Super Bowl XX in New Orleans, tossing a touchdown pass on the option, the high fives and head butts, and that famous smile.

This tribute to the man called Sweetness concludes with some of the highlights of Walter Payton as part of Buccaneers history. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are very familiar with the great running back. In twenty games against Tampa Bay, Payton ran for 1,629 yards and twelve touchdowns. He had nine 100 yard days and the Bears were 16-4 against the Bucs with Payton on the field.

December 4, 1977 - In Walter Payton's first game against the Buccaneers, the teams were scoreless after three quarters at Tampa Stadium. Payton ran for a 3 yard touchdown and finished with 101 yards on the ground. The 10-0 defeat was the Bucs last on the infamous 26 game losing streak.

January 23, 1978 - Walter Payton was named the Most Valuable Player of the Pro Bowl held at Tampa Stadium. The NFC beat the AFC 14-13 in the first NFL post season game held at the old sombrero.

December 2, 1979 - At Tampa, the Bucs defense played well holding the Bears to 164 total yards. Walter Payton rushed for 77 yards and scored a touchdown, the sixtieth rushing TD of his career, in the Bears 14-0 victory.

October 6, 1980 - The Bucs first appearance on Monday Night Football took place in Chicago. Payton ran for 183 yards and the Bears won 23-0. John McKay joked, "We set Monday night football back 2,000 years."

September 11, 1983 - Walter Payton the receiver helped the Bears to a 17-10 victory at Soldier field. While he only rushed for 45 yards, Payton had 115 receiving yards and caught a 75 yard TD pass from Jim McMahon.

November 20, 1983 - In a 27-0 Chicago victory at Tampa Stadium, Payton rushed for 106 yards and two scores. He passed O.J. Simpson to move into third place in career rushing.

October 21, 1984 - For the Bucs, it was the worst home loss in franchise history. Walter Payton scored twice on first quarter runs and the Bears rolled 44-9.

October 6, 1985 - At Tampa Stadium, the Bucs held a 12-3 advantage at the half. Midway through the fourth quarter, Payton ran 4 yards for the 100th touchdown of his career. He would scored again in the final minute to clinch a 27-19 Bears victory.

October 25, 1987 - Walter Payton made his last appearance against the Buccaneers. This was the teams first game after the 1987 players strike and the replacement player fiasco. Payton only rushed for 30 yard, as Jim McMahon lead the Bears to a 27-26 victory at Tampa Stadium.