Sweetness: The Courage and Heart of Walter Payton
by Triumph Books, H & S Media Incorporated, H&S Media
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Book Summary Information
Author: H & S Media Incorporated, H&S Media, Triumph BooksEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1999-11
ISBN: 1572433590
Number of pages: 96
Publisher: Triumph Books
Book Reviews of Sweetness: The Courage and Heart of Walter Payton
Book Review: "In Chicago, Michael Jordan was Revered. Walter was Loved"
Summary: 5 Stars
...one of the quotes in the book attributed to Bears Coach Mike Ditka. I agree with that, and I think anyone who reads this book will come to understand why. His accomplishments on the football field, as great as they were, were secondary. He was a great human being. We were fortunate to have had him as long as we did.
I'm sure this book is of more interest to Chicago Bears fans than it might be to those who aren't, but it needn't be that way; this is a great and meaningful book that everyone can enjoy. Yeager follows Walter's life an career in chronological order from his youth in Mississippi, through his years and Jackson State, his marriage, Bears career and ultimately his retirement and death. The format is generally quotes from others close to him at those times: his brother Eddie, college coach, teammates - particularly Matt Suhey, Roland Harper and Mike Singletary, coaches, friends and business associates. Yeager himself contributes based on his interviews with Walter and includes many details of his discussions with him. The best parts of the book, in my view, are the quotes from Walter himself.
Regardless of whether the reader is from Chicago or a Bears fan, I think this book is well worth the price if only for one of the later chapters. I don't have the book handy at the moment, but while he was dying, he spoke to Yeager in three or four paragraphs about what is is to be a Winner. Walter's comments were touching, profound and in my view as a Chicagoan and a Bear fan, defined who he was.
I'd highly recommend picking the book up just to read those passages. I think every parent should share those passages with their kids as I did - and continue to from time to time. They serve as a constant reminder of what is really important in life from a great man who understood.
He made us all very proud. I'm glad to heave read the book and refer to it often. Walter will never be forgotten.
Summary of Sweetness: The Courage and Heart of Walter Payton
The day Walter Payton died, Chicago Bears owner Virginia McCaskey tearfully said, "After Brian Piccolo died, my husband Ed and I promised ourselves we wouldn't be so personally involved with any of the players. We were able to follow that resolve until Walter Payton came into our lives." Payton was magical to watch, playing with a toughness that never failed to impress opponents, teammates, and fans alike. Alternately graceful and bruising, Payton ran, leapt, and battered his way to eight NFL records in his 13-year career--including the most rushing yards in a single game (275), most career rushing yards (16,726), and most career total yards (21,803), in addition to having 10 1,000-yard rushing seasons, five 1,500-yard rushing seasons, and 77 100-yard rushing games.As Sweetness: The Courage and Heart of Walter Payton points out, however, Payton was much more than just a football player. The contributors (many of whom are Chicagoans themselves) certainly highlight Payton's great athletic ability, his impressive stats, and the respect felt for him by his professional colleagues. But they also honor Payton the family man, the practical joker who loved to set off firecrackers in the locker room, and the philanthropist who quietly gave thousands of dollars to charities throughout Illinois. Dozens of photos, quotes from friends and family, and a handful of short essays will help football fans remember a time when life was a little sweeter. A fitting tribute to the man Mike Ditka called "the best football player I've ever seen, and probably one of the best people I've ever met." --Sunny Delaney
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