The National Football League will hold the 2025 NFL Draft in Green Bay, Wisconsin on April 24-26. The What We Need to Know Newsletter takes a look back at Little Known Black History Facts as they relate to African American football players, HBCUs and “Black Firsts” in the NFL.
The late Walter Payton was one of the NFL’s most explosive players, breaking records the same way the powerful running back broke down defensive players.Walter Jerry Payton was born July 25, 1953 or 54 in Columbia, Miss. In high school, Payton excelled in several sports and was also a member of the school band and choir. His older brother, Eddie, played at John J. Jefferson High School, but Payton wouldn’t play until the elder Payton brother graduated.