Walter Dean Walter Kevin Dean is an American former football running back . He played college football for the at Grambling State University . In his senior year , he led the nation in rushing and won the 1990 Walter Payton Award as the most outstanding player in Division I - AA football . He played professional football for one season in the National Football League ( NFL ) after he was selected by the Green Bay Packers in the sixth round of the 1991 NFL Draft . Early life . Dean was born on June 1 , 1968 in Ruston , Louisiana to Walter , a concrete company dispatcher , and Betty Dean , an administrative secretary at Grambling State University . He also has a younger brother who played soccer , Keith , who was one of Louisiana ' s leading interscholastic players , and with whom he shared a bunk - bed according to their mother . Walter Dean attended in Grambling , Louisiana and turned down offers from major college football programs such as Nebraska and Louisiana State in order to attend Grambling State . Dean said , " I wanted to go to a college where everybody I knew wouldn ' t have to sign up for a frequent - flyer program in order to see me play . " College career . At Grambling , Dean studied business management and played football for the Grambling State Tigers as a running back . He earned the nickname " American Express " due to the belief of his coach , Eddie Robinson , that the team should ' never leave home without him ' , a saying similar to the slogan of the eponymous credit card company . " Sports Illustrated " called Dean possibly the " best runner produced by a predominantly black college since Walter Payton came out of Jackson State in 1975 . " Former Grambling and Los Angeles Rams fullback Paul " Tank " Younger said about Dean , " You take one look at him and you think , hey , he doesn ' t look that tough . He isn ' t the huge , muscle - flexing type of back , but once you see him run the ball , you want to check out his scrapbook . " At Grambling , Dean recorded a career total of 3 , 328 yards and 41 touchdowns . As a junior in 1989 , Dean scored 18 touchdown s and set a school rushing record when he compiled 1 , 269 yards . In 1990 , Dean recorded 17 touchdowns and the Division I - AA season - best 1 , 401 rushing yards . Against , he recorded 137 yards on just 15 carries ( 9 . 13 average ) . Against Hampton , he compiled a career - high 232 yards and helped lead the Tigers to a 22 - 3 victory . Grambling finished the season with an 8 – 3 record , including a win against their arch - rival , , in the Bayou Classic . Eddie Robinson believed that Dean was deserving of the Heisman Trophy , awarded annually to the best college football player , but acknowledged that voters would not seriously consider a Division I - AA player for the honor . Dean did , however , win the Walter Payton Award , which is the award bestowed annually upon Division I - AA football ' s most outstanding player . Professional football . Dean was selected in the sixth round of the 1991 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers ( 149th pick overall ) . He then played one season for Green Bay . In 1991 , he saw action in nine games and recorded one kick return and one fumble .