October 7, 1984 At Soldier Field, Sweetness broke

October 7, 1984: At Soldier Field, Sweetness broke two of Jim Brown’s long-standing records
MIKE DITKA – “WHEN GOD SAID HE WOULD MAKE THE BEST FOOTBALL PLAYER WHO EVER LIVED, HE PROBABLY SAID TWO MEN, JIM THORPE AND WALTER PAYTON Jersey.”
On the second play from scrimmage in the third quarter, the Bears’ quarterback Jim McMahon called “Toss 28 Weak,” a pitchout for Walter Payton Jersey, who ran to his left behind fullback Matt Suhey and left guard Mark Bortz for six yards and a place in history.
Those six yards gave Walter Payton Jersey a career total of 12,317 yards, surpassing Jim Brown’s mark. Walter Payton Jersey finished the day with 154 yards, the 59th game he had accomplished the feat, thus breaking another of Brown’s records.
The Bears beat the New Orleans Saints 20-7 and after the game,Alge Crumpler, Bears’ coach Mike Ditka said, “When God said he would make a halfback, or a fullback, He might have said Gale Sayers or He might have said Jim Brown. But when He said he would make the best football player who ever lived, He probably said two men, Jim Thorpe and Walter Payton Jersey.”
*Walter Payton Jersey retired in 1987 with 16,726 career rushing yards, but in November 1999 Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys broke his record.