HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) - A former Marshall University quarterback who led the Herd to its first Division I-AA championship has died after a battle with cancer. Michael Payton was 48.
Payton’s brother told The Herald-Dispatch in Huntington that he died on Thursday.
Marshall Athletics Director Mike Hamrick said in a statement that Payton’s loss will be felt by many.
Payton was a native of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He led Marshall to the Division I-AA championship in 1992.
Payton earned the Walter Payton Award in 1992, a Division I-AA version of the Heisman Trophy. In that season, he threw for 3,610 yards and 31 touchdowns with just 12 interceptions.
Payton was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2015. He also is a member of Marshall University’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
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