Product Description

THE BEST FOOTBALL PLAYER EVER, PERIOD.
--Mike Ditka

Walter Payton played running back with a devastating combination of grace and ferocity. Though standing an inch and a half short of six feet and just a shade over two hundred pounds, he led the beleaguered Chicago Bears to a Super Bowl title, broke Jim Brown’s career rushing record and won the unconditional love of millions of NFL fans.

How did a small-town daydreamer in Mississippi end up taking the cellar-dwelling Bears from awful to awesome? Walter Payton simply worked harder and with more purpose than any football player in history. And he did it with a smile.

PAYTON captures the life of an on-field superstar who wanted most to be the consummate team player. He was a man who left everything on the field, always put family first and committed himself to giving back to the community. Sweetness indeed.

Includes a DVD with NFL Films' "Pure Payton," a collection of extraordinary highlights of Walter Payton's football career. This DVD--only available here--offers striking, never-before-seen footage of Payton both on and off the field, and completes any serious Bears fan's collection.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31745 in Books
• Published on: 2005-11-01
• Released on: 2005-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781590710562
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

About the Author
CONNIE NORWOOD PAYTON cochairs the Walter and Connie Payton Foundation, a nonprofit charity supporting the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services’ care for thousands of abandoned and neglected children. Since Walter’s passing, Connie broadened the Foundation’s charitable scope to include cancer awareness and organ donor initiatives. She is the author of Stronger Than Cancer: Treasured Insights from the Hearts and Homes of Families Fighting Cancer. Connie continues to live in the suburbs of Chicago.

JARRETT PAYTON dreamed his whole life of playing football like his father. As a running back for the University of Miami Hurricanes, Jarrett led his team in rushing, rushing touchdowns, all purpose yards, and hundred-yard games. After college he went as a free agent to the Tennessee Titans, who allocated him to the NFL Europe’s Amsterdam Admirals. On June 11, 2004, Jarrett led the Admirals to their first ever World Bowl win, combining for 73 yards with a game high 54 rushing yards.

BRITTNEY PAYTON was born in 1985, the year her father led his team to their legendary Super Bowl triumph. She has followed in her father’s footsteps both as an avid runner and as a tireless campaigner for public health awareness and education. Brittney is one of the founding members of Youth For Life: Remembering Walter Payton - an educational campaign to encourage organ donations from young adults. Brittney attends DePaul University where she is pursuing a degree in communications.

Customer Reviews

Beautiful and thoughtful book on a football legend.
This is a book about the life and career of Walter Payton, perhaps the greatest football player ever, and a person who seemed to inspire people by his work ethic, humility and class as much as his football records.

There was a section of this book, in a chapter by one of Walter Payton's children, when the realization sunk in on how many people were impacted by Walter's career, his approach, and his untimely death. The author was at the airport talking to a family who had flown to Chicago for Payton's funeral, and were talking amongst themselves at how odd it was that they took his death so hard when they had never met him. I related to this story, because I never spent any time with Walter Payton, but admired him and also was personally impacted when he passed on.

I grew up watching Walter Payton play football. On the field there was no one like him. He wasn't all that fast, but he never quit, and always played every play with everything he had. The training routines were legendary. He was everything you would want for a role model; clean living, disciplined, humble and dedicated to his family. The book depicts all of these aspects of his life.

The book itself is both beautiful, with dozens of great color photographs, and fairly comprehensive. There are sections from his wife, his children, teammates and of course his football career. What is great about this book is that it doesn't really focus on his game, rather on his life.

If you are at all a fan of football you likely already are familiar with his career, but I encourage you to get to know a bit about the person behind the records. He was an inspiration to me, and still is.

Payton is worth every penny
I have always been a fan of Walter Payton and, like legions of Bears and football fans, I took his death hard. It was almost like he was family.

The book has stunning pictures and is well written. The most touching parts of the book are the personal messages written about Walter by his wife Connie and children Jarrett and Brittney. They really touch on his personal side and you get a glimpse of the man he is, which is a great family man and just plain great man. It wasn't just an image as it is with a lot of pro athletes today.

There are no words to describe the DVD. The DVD without a doubt leaves no room for argument as to who is the best running back of all time. He ran with the power of Earl Campbell and grace of Barry Sanders, whom I rank No. 2 all-time. As you will see, career rushing yards don't tell the story.

I recommend this book to all Walter Payton fans and to anybody who never got to watch Payton play. The book and DVD give you a good look at the man and his career. My salute to the family for turning out such a good book and sharing Walter with us. And my best wishes to Jarrett in his professional football career. I've been rooting for you since you were at Miami and that means something since I'm a born and bred Nebraska fan.

Simply Beautiful
I had the pleasure of having my book personally signed by Mrs. Payton herself. She was on book signing tour with Bonita Favre, Brett's mother. I finally read the book and I really enjoyed it. It was an easy read, and tear jerker if you're a true Bear or Payton fan. It was very personal and it was nice to see it from his family's point of view rather than a sportscaster or some other author. The DVD is awesome too. I tried to hold back my tears on that one too, but I couldn't. The world will never see another player like Payton. I highly recommend this book. Especially to kids of the younger generation who never got to see Payton in action. This is just a truly special book.