Here's how ESPN's on-air NFL staff remembers Walter Payton, who died Monday at age 45:

Hoge

Merril Hoge
Walter Payton was my idol. He was the guy I looked up to the most. He gave the inspiration to be a good football player. He played the game at 100 mph, full speed, all the time. And that's how you played the game to be successful. He was a true professional off the field. He made me want to be a professional football player in the sense that you could impact lives and give people hope.

	Walter Payton topped the 1,000-yard mark an NFL-record 10 times in his 13 seasons.

When I was with the Steelers, we played the Bears at Soldier Field and they beat us 50-14 in a preseason game. I went over to the sideline after the game and proceeded to tell Walter what he had meant to me in my life. I gave him basically a dissertation. He looked at me, and I thought he might say, "Hey, kid, get lost." And he said, "You know what? That was the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me. I really appreciate that." Then I really got flustered, and I said, "Walter, can I get an autograph?" He said, "I don't have a pen with me, so I'll give you this." He gave me his elbow pads and sweat bands. I still have them to this day.

As I was walking off the field, my dad was videotaping the game. And I was the only Steeler with a smile on my face. It's one of the greatest moments in my career -- period. I've always stood by Walter Payton as the greatest running back ever for two reasons: He was 5-foot-10 and 210 pounds. He would take on players much larger than him and bowl over them. He feared nobody. He had the whole package.

Jaworski

Ron Jaworski
I was fortunate to play against Walter many times. When you play against Walter, and you were on the opposing offense, you have a tendency to become a fan just watching him. It was that much of a thrill. His talent was absolutely incredible. He fought for every inch humanly possible. He gave everything he had. When you watch a guy like him play the game, it was a lesson on what it was all about. He never took the easy way. I think Jim Brown was the best player I ever saw play the game, but I would put Walter Payton in the top three of all-time running backs.

Clayton

John Clayton
His nickname probably summed up what he was both as a person and as a player -- "Sweetness." There was a sweet style to the way he played football and served as a spokesman for the game. When he played, you just remember that high-kicking running style. It was just artistry, the way he would break down the sidelines. It was beautiful to watch. He would carry his team on his back as much as he could through all the losing years he had in Chicago. I think he's now the symbol of what you look in a player in terms of patience. He was on a losing team for so many years, yet he didn't complain. He waited and waited and waited and finally got his just reward when he got to the Super Bowl and won it.

Theismann

Joe Theismann
When I had a chance to play against Walter, I was always amazed at his athletic ability, his drive, the power and grace he had. He was absolutely an incredible athlete to watch on a football field. He had a flair in his running style. He'd hit that straight-legged high step. He never carried the ball in the traditional sense, up close to this body. He always had it hanging out somewhere. But nobody ever knocked him down, let alone knocked the ball out of his hands. He was a symbol of power and grace. When he was near the goal line, he could launch himself like a gymnast going over the bar. Whatever John Elway has meant to the Denver Broncos, Payton was to the Chicago Bears. He was symbolic of the Bears. He was the guy you rooted for on the Bears, like Elway in the last couple of years, to win a championship, and he did. You could argue Walter was the greatest of all-time. He was embraced and loved by the men he played with. It's a shame that he has been taken from us.

Schottenheimer

Marty Schottenheimer
When I coached in New York, he came to Giants Stadium with an opportunity to set a new record. We were able to keep him short due in large part to the ice-covered field. We did manage to keep him from breaking the record in the final game of the season. The other memory I have is when I was an assistant with the Lions. We played the Bears twice a year, and I always remembered having the sense that if you were playing against Walter Payton, you were actually sitting on a keg of dynamite that you knew would go off. You were just hoping that the game would end before it went off. You always had the greatest respect for his performance in every aspect of the game. He was obviously an extremely talented runner, a very good receiver and a great blocker. He was absolutely the complete player. I would put him in the top two or three running backs of all time. He and Jim Brown are the two that come to my mind when the talk is on great running backs. They had quality performances for an extended period of time.