Statues Week features sculptures honoring famous people or characters.
Walter Payton was one of the first superstars I watched from the beginning of his career. Payton starred for teh Bears for 13 seasons, amassing 16,726 rushing yards and 4,838 receiving yards. He also had 331 passing yards, 539 kick return yards and 39 punting yards. Payton could do it all. For much of his brilliant career, he was the Chicago Bears!
Payton was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993. Tragically, he died in 1999 at the young age of 45.
In 2019, the Chicago Bears unveiled statues of Payton and former owner George Halas. The 12-foot, 3,000 pound statues were sculpted by Fisher Sculpture and designed by Populous. Both statues are on the south end of the Soldier Field area, just outside the stadium.
I took my picture with the Payton statue while covering a Bears game in 2020. Since I never met Payton, this was as close as I would ever get.
Walter Payton and me in Chicago, IL-December 2020.
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