3 essential Walter Payton Football Cards

Football season is underway. Autumn is here, the days are getting shorter - a perfect time to look back on some of the football cards of past greats. A good start is three cards from Hall of Fame Running Back Walter Payton. When Payton passed away from liver disease in 1999 at the young age of 46, the world lost more than just one of the best to ever play the game.

Payton was know as a true role model, a player whose work ethic was unrivaled, who didn't celebrate every touchdown, signed autographs for kids and was in general a fine human being. There's a reason the NFL gives the "Walter Payton Man of the Year" to the player who made the biggest impact in their community each year. Payton's cards have continued to see an increase in interest as collectors want to own a piece of NFL history.

1976 Topps Walter Payton RC

WP rookie — 1976 Walter Payton Topps | CardLadder

There's always a crowd when a higher grade 1976 Walter Payton Topps rookie goes up for auction. The card has it all: a great portrait of a smiling Payton as a rookie (his first appearance on a football card), along with the challenges that fans love when searching for a worthy addition to their collections. Centering has long been a major issue in regard to this release - there are only 56 Payton rookies in gem-mint condition.

1985 Topps Walter Payton Record Breaker

1985 WP — 1985 Walter Payton Topps Record Breaker | CardLadder

Back in 1984 during a game at Soldier Field, Walter Payton broke Jim Brown's all-time NFL rushing record of 12,312 yards. It was really something to see and can be found easily on YouTube - the game basically came to a stop in the 2nd half as both his teammates, opponents and even referees came to congratulate him. It was compared at the time by the game announcer to Hank Aaron becoming the home-run champ and while the two stories are very different, it was without question a major achievment, cementing Payton's status as a legend. The "Record Breaker" card from 1985 pays tribute to this feat; with those black borders, card condition is a challenge - but one worth taking on for Payton collectors.

1991 Proline Portraits Autograph

WP auto — 1991 Walter Payton Proline Portraits Autograph | CardLadder

Payton's first on-card autograph was in 1991 Proline Portraits set. The set contained autographs of many NFL greats of the time and caused quite a sensation - autographs were not yet common in sports card products. Caution has to be advised when seeking out this Payton autograph - unfortunately fakes are plentiful. The autographs were signed on the back of the card and included an embossed stamp to verify authenticity.