Walter Payton

Payton was not the greatest running back in history, but he was close. Jimmy Brown and O.J. Simpson were better, but no one player in NFL history at any position has forced more from his body and driven himself as relentlessly as Payton. This is Payton's first lesson: Never settle for less than you can possibly be….

"I'm always fearful I'm not in the best shape I can be in," Payton once told me. "My goal is to be able to play all out 60 minutes every game. Since you might have the ball only 30 minutes, I figure I've got enough left to go all out every play."

Source: Attner, Paul Sporting News (November 15, 1999): 8.