10 things I learned about Walter Payton

From the new biography 'Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton' by Jeff Pearlman, here are 10 memorable stories about the football star.

4. Rushing race against O.J.

Pro Football Hall of Fame
O.J. Simpson playing for the Buffalo Bills

In one of the most-watched rushing races in many years, Payton entered the final game of the 1976 season with a nine-yard lead over Buffalo’s O.J. Simpson. The two had battled all year, and now the Bears’ rising star had a golden opportunity to topple the league’s reigning rushing champion.

Payton’s agent, college coach, and mother flew up from Mississippi to see if he could hold off Simpson while playing against Denver at Chicago’s frigid Soldier Field. Simpson faced a much weaker Baltimore defense and had a big day, while Payton struggled, sprained his ankle late in the third quarter, and had to come out of the game.

He sobbed on the bench in one of the biggest disappointments of his career. Simpson easily prevailed in the season-long battle 1,503 yards to 1,390. The next year, however, Payton won his first and only rushing title. The injured Simpson was a nonfactor, and saw only limited service thereafter while finishing out his career in 1978 and 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers.

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