A new book on Walter Payton, the Hall of legendary Chicago Bears fame, reveals a controversial side, deprived of running back and has been criticized by his family.
In "Sweetness: The Walter Payton's enigmatic life," the life of Payton Jeff Pearlman chronicles his childhood in Mississippi and the battle with a rare liver disease and death from cancer of the bile ducts in the year 1999.
Excerpts from Sports Illustrated tales relate Payton extramarital affairs, including a scene in Canton, Ohio, when Payton took his wife and his girlfriend to its Hall of Fame. Payton, Pearlman writes in detail, battled depression and was addicted to painkillers during his playing career and beyond.
Payton Family responded with a statement issued to Fred Mitchell of the Chicago Tribune. "Walter, like all of us, it was not perfect," said the widow of Walter Payton, Connie. "The challenges were well known by those who loved and lived with him. He was a great father to Jarrett and Brittney and a special place in the world of football and the Chicago community. Recent revelations - some true, some false - not change this. I am saddened that someone tries to take advantage of these stories, many told by people with little credibility. "
The Bears also took the floor and the issuance of a statement the team said his feelings were unchanged Payton:
"The Chicago Bears had the singular honor and privilege of having Walter Payton as part of our organization for over two decades as a player and board member. We believe that competitive spirit lives with us today. When we take the field every Sunday, which represent the great players like Walter who helped build the rich tradition of our organization. Nothing will change our feelings for a man who has the deepest respect and miss having around Halas Hall for the day. "
For his part, said Pearlman was available only to "write a definitive" work.
“It hurts me that this will hurt his kids,” he told SI.com. “It really does because Jarrett and Brittney are wonderful, engaging, fun, caring people and they're really uplifting figures in the Chicago landscape ... That said, I set out to write a definitive biography — period. When people would ask, 'Well, is this going to be positive?' I'd say, 'Not positive, not negative — definitive.'”
