Walter Jerry Payton was born on July 25, 1954, in Columbia, Mississippi. He didn’t start playing organized football until he was a junior in high school and from the moment he stepped on the field, he excelled. In fact, his first carry as a running back resulted in a 65-yard touchdown. He had what it took to be a football player and it showed right from the start. He was destined to be a star.
Following his successful high school football career, Payton went on to Jackson State to play football at the collegiate level. Payton didn’t receive any offers to play football from the much closer SEC schools but did get an offer, and committed to it, from Kansas State University.