It came as no surprise that he was selected for induction to the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio on July 31, 1993. He shed tears at the end, and it became evident why Payton earned the nickname of "Sweetness" as a college player, and why the label stuck with him throughout his life. In 13 years of play he made nine appearances in the Pro Bowl. That same year Chicago played in the conference championship game, an event that had eluded the team repeatedly.
(1954–1999) The doctors soon discovered the source of his discomfort. The Fox-owned station announced Thursday that Payton …
He ventured into football the following year, at the request of the sophomore coach. In 1996, Walter Payton's Roundhouse, a restaurant and brewpub featuring the Payton Hall of Fame, was opened in Aurora, IL.
For that single performance he received the Most Valuable Player award (MVP) for the season.
Payton's day of true glory came on October 7, 1984 on a six-yard play against the New Orleans Saints. He stood supportively in the shadow of his older brother, Eddie, and refused to steal the limelight.
He is a very smart and very able man, and he loves football.
Many dignitaries including the U.S. secretary of state, the governor of Illinois, and the commissioner of the NFL attended Payton's funeral at Life Changers Church in Barrington Hills, Illinois. The two owned a fleet of Indy-CART-sanctioned race cars.In 1988, Payton joined the board of directors of the Chicago Bears. Undoubtedly one of the finest moments of Payton's life occurred in 1998 when he announced that his son would attend the University of Miami and play college football as a running back. The late Michael McCaskey, then owner of the Bears, quelled media speculation with an announcement that Payton's election to the board was based on "the qualities that he would bring. Payton managed his businesses personally; he took a hands-on approach to every transaction. Payton was named to the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II-AA all-American team in 1974 and finished fourth in voting for the Heisman Trophy. He was one of three siblings—two boys and one girl—the children of Peter and Alyne Payton.
He and his wife, Connie, were married on July 7, 1976 and had two children: Jarrett, born in the early 1980s, and Brittney, born some five years later.
On February 2, 1999, Payton announced that he had primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a progressive disease of the liver.
He spent thirteen years with the team and missed only a single game. With son Jarrett at the University of Miami and daughter Brittney starting her senior year in high school next year, Connie Payton doesn't need so much property, Fiduccia said.