Winners of the award include 13 members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and also some of the greatest names in NFL history.

Here's the full list:

2005 --Steve McNair, Tennessee Titans
2004 --Warrick Dunn, Tampa Bay
2003 -- Will Shields, Kansas City Chiefs
2002 -- Troy Vincent, Philadelphia Eagles
2001 -- Jerome Bettis, Pittsburgh Steelers
2000 -- Jim Flanigan, Chicago Bears and Derrick Brooks, Tampa Bay
1999 -- Cris Carter, Minnesota Vikings
1998 -- Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins
1997 -- Troy Aikman, Dallas Cowboys
1996 -- Darrell Green, Washington Redskins
1995 -- Boomer Esiason, New York Jets
1994 -- Junior Seau, San Diego Chargers
1993 -- Derrick Thomas, Kansas City Chiefs
1992 -- John Elway, Denver Broncos
1991 -- Anthony Munoz, Cincinnati Bengals
1990 -- Mike Singletary, Chicago Bears
1989 -- Warren Moon, Houston Oilers
1988 -- Steve Largent, Seattle Seahawks
1987 -- Dave Duerson, Chicago Bears
1986 -- Reggie Williams, Cincinnati Bengals
1985 -- Dwight Stephenson, Miami Dolphins
1984 -- Marty Lyons, New York Jets
1983 -- Rolf Benirschke, San Diego Chargers
1982 -- Joe Theismann, Washington Redskins
1981 -- Lynn Swann, Pittsburgh Steelers
1980 -- Harold Carmichael, Philadelphia Eagles
1979 -- Joe Greene, Pittsburgh Steelers
1978 -- Roger Staubach, Dallas Cowboys
1977 -- WALTER PAYTON, Chicago Bears
1976 -- Franco Harris, Pittsburgh Steelers
1975 -- Ken Anderson, Cincinnati Bengals
1974 -- George Blanda, Oakland Raiders
1973 -- Len Dawson, Kansas City Chiefs
1972 -- Willie Lanier, Kansas City Chiefs
1971 -- John Hadl, San Diego Chargers
1970 -- Johnny Unitas, Baltimore Colts

Walter Payton Award

The Sports Network established the Walter Payton Player of the Year Award in 1987, and it is presented annually to the most outstanding college football player on the Division I-AA level. The winner is chosen by a nationwide panel of media and college sports information directors from the division. When the award was established, it was the only such award to be presented to an indiviual player in I-AA football. It has since been joined by the Buck Buchanan Award, which was established in 1995.

Payton, who played his college ball for Jackson State, set the NCAA record for points scored in a career with 464. He scored 66 touchdowns for the Tigers, while rushing for 3,563 yards. Payton also kicked five field goals and 53 PATs. in his four-year career at JSU, he set nine school records, six of which still stand today.

However, Payton's collegiate accomplishments pale in comparison to the numbers he posted in his professional career. He is the NFL's all-time leading rusher with 16,726 yards, and the Chicago Bears all-time leading scorer with 750 points. Upon his retirement, Payton was the holder of eight NFL records and 28 Bear records. In 1977, at the age of 23, Payton became the youngest player to be voted NFL MVP. He added a second league MVP award following the 1985 season. During his 13-year NFL career, Payton was named to the Pro Bowl nine times. He was also named a member of the NFL's prestigious 75th anniversary Team.

As active as he was on the field, Payton was equally active in charity work off the field. He was honorary chairman for the 1983 Heart Association Jump Rope for Health, and for the Illinois Mental Health Association from 1978 through 1980. Payton was also involved with the Boy Scouts, March of Dimes, Brian Piccolo Research Fund, United Way and the Peace Corps.

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