Only One Word Describes Payton

"Somebody will always break your records. It's how you live that counts." - Earl Campbell, NFL fullback.

First of all, let me say that, much like every other football fan, fans of football and not just the Chicago Bears, I'm very much still in disbelief that Walter Payton is no longer among us.

I've been a Bears fan as long as I can remember, but I'm not writing this because I cheer the orange and blue. Not because my brother bought me a replica jersey for Christmas one year. Not because I still have the Super Bowle Shuffle on video. And most importantly, not because of what No. 34 did on all those cold Sunday afternoons, wind whipping and snow falling, but for what he did on the other six days of the week.

You see, since he died Monday afternoon, just after 4 p.m., sports writers and columnists have tried to pay tribute to this gridiron gladiator with pictures and tear-jerking stories. But I'm sorry to say it just can't be done. You can say anything you want about the NFL's all-time leading rusher, but it won't do any justice whatsoever.

I can tell you the words in this space won't do any justice either. I can only think of one word that would pay any sort of tribute to Mr. Payton: his nickname, Sweetness.

I couldn't tell you when he got that name or who gave it to him, but it was only fitting. Surely, whoever gave it to him knew Walter Payton the man.

We call him Sweetness for a reason. Because, yeah, that's how he played the game for 13 years, with an effort that made sweat the sweetest smelling cologne, but more importantly because that's how he lived his life.

We could have called him Killer, Dr. Destruction or Professor Pain, but we settled for Sweetness.

Had any other fooball player worn that name he would have been looked down upon as if it meant he was a sissy. It's not exactly the meanest sounding name in the world. But then again, that just personifies Walter Payton.

Just as the quote by Earl Campbell above indicates, Payton's record will fall someday, though we don't want it to; but it's how he lived life that we will always remember him for.

We'll remember him for all those television commercials he did for the United Way and all the things he did for the city of Chicago first. Then we can talk about all those tackle-breaking runs, and the times during that Super Bowl season that he should have been give the ball on the 2-yard line but Iron Mike chose to give it to a rookie nicknamed the 'Fridge.'

To know Walter Payton you must put the Super Bowl Shuffle in your VCR and listen to a portion of what he sang: "We're not here because we're greedy, the Bears are doing it to feed the needy."

That's Walter Payton.