On September 14, 1986, the Chicago Bears lined up against the Philadelphia Eagles. It was Week 2 of the season, a gritty defensive battle, the kind of game where every yard mattered.
Midway through, Walter Payton took the ball and did what he had done so many times before — he found the end zone. But this wasn’t just any score. It was his 100th career rushing touchdown.
In that moment, “Sweetness” joined an exclusive club of backs who turned the impossible into routine. For over a decade, Payton had carried Chicago on his shoulders, breaking tackles, making defenders miss, and running with a style that was equal parts power and grace. His work ethic was legendary. His toughness unmatched.
By the end of his career, Payton would finish with 110 rushing touchdowns, 16,726 yards, and a Super Bowl ring — but his 100th rushing score stood as a milestone that reminded fans just how special he was.
Nearly 40 years later, his legacy still resonates. Walter Payton wasn’t just the Bears’ greatest player. He was one of football’s all-time icons. And that touchdown on a September afternoon in 1986 was another brick in the foundation of his legend.