On January 23, 1978: During the regular season, the Chicago Bears’ Walter Payton broke the NFL single-game rushing record with 275 yards and finished the year with a career-high 1,852 yards. In today’s Pro Bowl, he’s named the player of the game. Payton’s one-yard touchdown run with 7:37 left ties the game at 13-13. Efren Herrera’s extra point gives the NFC, which trailed 13-0 at halftime, a 14-13 victory over the AFC in Tampa, Fla. Payton averages 5.9 yards a carry in the game, finishing with 77 yards on 13 rushes. Twenty of his yards come in the game-winning drive. “Mediocre, that’s all,” Payton says of his performance. As a member of the winning team, Payton earns $5,000.
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