Friday, September 20, 2013

Payton Breaks NFL Rushing Touchdown Record


On Sept. 20, 1987, 1987 Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton scored his record breaking career regular season rushing touchdown 107.  Payton broke the record, which was previously held by Cleveland Browns great Jim Brown.

Without a doubt, Walter Payton was one of the greatest football players that ever played the game.  At the time of his retirement he had the most career rushing touchdowns, most career rushing yards and no player carried the ball more times in their career than “Sweetness”. 

Payton was a nine-time Pro Bowler and was named league MVP in the 1977 season.  

Payton’s greatest on-field accomplishment was being one of the leaders of the Super Bowl champion 1985 Chicago Bears, a team considered by many as one of the greatest of all-time.

Payton would retire from football in 1987 with a record 110 rushing touchdowns. However, his record would not last long.  

In 1995 former Oakland Raider and then Kansas City Chiefs running back Marcus Allen would break Payton’s record with his career rushing touchdown 111. Allen would finish his career with 123 rushing touchdowns.

Since then only two players have eclipsed the record broken by Payton and Allen including LaDanian Tomlinson with 145 touchdowns and Emmit Smith, who finished with 164 touchdowns. Smith still stands as the single player with the most rushing touchdowns in a career.

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