Not All 'Sweetness': New Book Shows Walter Payton as Complicated Man
John Nestor

Sweetness

Chicago, IL

A new biography of the Chicago Bears Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton, Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton, contains some startling revelations that are at odds with Payton's good-guy image.

Scheduled to be released next week and authored by Jeff Pearlman, a former senior writer for Sports Illustrated, the book shows Payton was a complicated man whose actions did not always measure up to public perception.

Among the books revelations are that Payton took painkillers during his playing days and even more painkillers after retiring. He kept a mistress for years and had other extramarital affairs, even while he publicly maintained he was happily married to his longtime wife, Connie.

Payton also told friends he wanted to kill himself, at one point even holding a gun while telling his agent of his plans.

In a statement issued Wednesday and signed by "Connie Payton and family," Walter Payton's relatives said the book was both truthful and exaggerated.

"Walter, like all of us, wasn't perfect," the statement said. "The challenges he faced were well known to those of us who loved and lived with him. He was a great father to Jarrett and Brittney and held a special place in the football world and the Chicago community.

"Recent disclosures — some true, some untrue — do not change this. I'm saddened that anyone would attempt to profit from these stories, many told by people with little credibility."

Pearlman said in an interview posted on SI.com that he knew little about Payton when he began writing the book. He said he interviewed 678 people over 21/2 years and defended the allegations in the book.

"There's something important about learning that even the greatest among us have their burdens," Pearlman said. "Whether you're a Hall of Fame running back or a guy moving cement, we all have issues. No one lives up to the pedestal. . . . The goal is to find out who he was and how he lived. I'm very defensive about that. You want to write an honest and accurate biography."

Available at Amazon.com: Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton