Walter Payton

Walter Payton's 16,726 career rushing yards set a record that lasted 17 years, and his 77,000 total rushing yards including playoffs underscore his durability. Payton's single-game 275 rushing yards in 1977 remains an NFL record, and he scored 110 career touchdowns. He won Super Bowl XX with the Bears in 1985, being named NFL MVP in 1977 after rushing for 1,852 yards—1,200 more than the average league-leading rusher that season. Payton's 9 Pro Bowls are tied with #6 Reggie White's tally, but his consistent 4.4 yards per carry over 13 seasons outperforms #8 Joe Montana's career rushing average of 3.0. He also threw 8 career touchdown passes, a unique versatility. Payton's 1977 season featured 3,000 combined yards, a benchmark only achieved by 4 other running backs before him. His record-setting career includes 77 consecutive games with at least 10 carries.