Consistency, Endurance,

CONSISTENCY, ENDURANCE, and hard work characterize professional football’s great runners. In 1984, Walter Payton of the Chicago Bears rose to the top with those traits.

The Bears were entertaining the New Orleans Saints at Soldier Field. Coming into the season’s sixth game, Payton had rushed for 12,245 career yards, leaving him 67 shy of Jim Brown’s all-time National Football League mark.

On the second play of the third quarter, with the Bears leading 13–7, quarterback Jim McMahon called Toss-28-Weak, a sweep to the left with Payton carrying the ball. Payton took the toss, skittered along in the backfield, found an opening, and burst through for a 6-yard gain, giving him 12,317 career rushing yards—five more than the legendary Jim Brown, who retired in 1965.

With the record, play stopped. Photographers scrambled. Payton dashed to the Saints sideline and shook hands with opposing coach Bum Phillips. Circling back to the Bears bench, he handed the historic ball to coach Johnny Roland for safekeeping until it went to the NFL Hall of Fame.

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POINT The new all-time rushing leader finished the game with 154 yards on 32 carries in a 20–7 Chicago victory. Walter Payton would go on to play three more seasons, upping his record to 16,726 yards in 13 years. The powerful running back, nicknamed “Sweetness” for both his kindness to people and his grace on the field, missed one game as a rookie before playing in 186 consecutive contests.

Just as he rushed again and again on the field, Walter Payton rushed to help others. He established a foundation to give neglected and abused children self-esteem and hope. Sadly, Payton died of a liver disease in 1999 at age 45. Today his family celebrates his July birthday with an event called “Sleigh Bells in July” to collect Christmas toys for children.

Payton’s hard work left a legacy on the gridiron and in his community.

GOAL! Why not begin now to collect toys for underprivileged children for Christmas? With hard work and God’s help, you can become a leader at school, in your church, and around your neighborhood.