Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton [Hardcover]

Jeff Pearlman (Author)

Book Description

Release date: October 4, 2011

The first definitive biography of Chicago Bears superstar Walter Payton.

At five feet ten inches tall, running back Walter Payton was not the largest player in the NFL, but he developed a larger-than-life reputation for his strength, speed, and grit. Nicknamed "Sweetness" during his college football days, he became the NFL's all-time leader in rushing and all-purpose yards, capturing the hearts of fans in his adopted Chicago.

Crafted from interviews with more than 700 sources, acclaimed sportswriter Jeff Pearlman has produced the first definitive biography of Payton. Sweetness at last brings fans a detailed, scrupulously researched, all-encompassing account of the legend's rise to greatness. From Payton's childhood in segregated Mississippi, where he ended a racial war by becoming the star of his integrated high school's football team, to his college years and his thirteen-year NFL career, Sweetness brims with stories of all-American heroism, and covers Payton's life off the field as well. Set against the backdrop of the tragic illness that cut his life short at just forty-five years of age, this is a stirring tribute to a singular icon and the lasting legacy he made.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Mr. Halberstam would have been the first to insist that we not confuse fiction with nonfiction, and that we not mistake biography -- the telling of a life -- for hagiography -- the burnishing of a legend. Which was football's big trouble last week, it turns out, as lots of folks who should know better took exception to a new biography of Walter Payton.” –ESPN.com, The Sporting Life
 

“I found the Walter of your book to be more of a hero than the one people refer to.” – Rick Hogan, WGN Sunday Papers

"Jeff Pearlman has written Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton, which depicts Mr. Payton as perhaps the greatest all-around football player ever, a generous teammate and a loving father."-- Scott Simon, NPR's Weekend Edition

“Over the weekend I read an advance copy of Sweetness and found it to be an incredible, thoughtful, deep and profound read. It’s exceptional work.  I wouldn’t let an out-of-context excerpt and some enraged condemnations get in the way of a fascinating read about a fascinating man.” – Dan Wetzel, Yahoo! Sports

“READ THE BOOK."
"But if you like texture, if you want to get the sense of a real life lived by a real person with real beauty within and real warts, start reading and do so with an open mind. " – Bob Kravitz, The Indianapolis Star

"Pearlman did not set out to expose Payton but to understand him, to identify and define the qualities that made him so appealing. He was a football-playing hero to millions, true, but he was also a human being of considerable complexity. There’s a story in how those two sides intersected, and a skilled biographer gets to that story." -- New York Times

"If Walter Payton, magnificent football player and Chicago treasure, is enough for you, ignore the book and cherish your memories. If Walter Payton, flawed but fascinating human being, intrigues you, read it. You might come away with a greater appreciation" -- New York Times

About the Author

Jeff Pearlman is the author of four previous books, including two New York Times bestsellers: The Bad Guys Won! and Boys Will Be Boys. He is a columnist for SI.com, a contributor to The Wall Street Journal, and blogs regularly on jeffpearlman.com. Pearlman and his family live in New York.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 496 pages
• Publisher: Gotham (October 4, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 159240653X
• ISBN-13: 978-1592406531
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (78 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #309,721 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > People, A-Z > ( P ) > Payton, Walter

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 25 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Impressive Work and A Biographer Who Embraces "Never Die Easy" October 21, 2011

By K. Mangan

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Whether or not you will enjoy this book depends on your purpose for reading it. Are you looking for yet another glowing homage to one of the world's greatest sports heroes, or do you want a no-holds-barred, rich, and honest examination of the life of one of the world's most gifted athletes, who also happened to be both genuinely good and, at times, decidedly dishonorable?

Jeff Pearlman has done an astonishing amount of research to present this very comprehensive portrait of a complex man. Not only did he interview Payton's family and friends (and, very early in his writing career, the legend himself), he spoke with Payton's contemporaries (teammates, opponents, coaches, agents, lawyers, and on and on), and then did an unbelievable amount of research to confirm their statements (even correcting errors that appeared in Payton's own autobiographies!) How detailed was he? He describes weather conditions on days Payton played in high school; he delves into the biographies of key figures (like Mike Ditka). That he is able to present such a rich, multifaceted portrait that considers Payton from myriad sides is a testimony to his skill as a writer and his dogged determination to present an accurate portrait of the real man. He certainly embraced Payton's "never die easy" philosophy.

This is an astonishing work, breathtaking in detail and staggering in scope. I came away in greater awe than ever of Payton's athletic abilities and work ethic, and equally impressed with his kindnesses. And, yes, I learned that even our heroes are fallible and, occasionally, heartless. Walter Payton was not a saint - very few people are, let alone sport gods - but he was still a remarkable human being worthy of his accolades, as well as our admiration and respect for many of his accomplishments and deeds.... Thank you, Jeff Pearlman, for bringing us this masterpiece. It was a true joy to read. Read more ›

26 of 34 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Super Star Born from Adversity October 12, 2011

By M. JEFFREY MCMAHON TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

I heard the author Pearlman on Dan Patrick radio show talk about the three years of his life he spent writing this book and immediately bought it as I have been a lifelong Walter Payton fan. This biography shows Payton in all his glory, with warts and all and is very fair-minded.

What's most amazing is how Payton thrived in the NFL against all odds. Growing up in Jim Crow Mississippi which resisted integration even after it was made into law, Payton played football with a lack of resources and blatant racism; he hated the idea of being drafted to cold Chicago; he played on a sloppy Bears team with no offense, no imagination, no weapons other than Payton; many of the players were addicted to drugs (Payton wasn't) and these addictions made the sloppy play even worse; Payton had elbow injuries; headaches; his first game he netted zero yards; he behaved immaturely, even throwing an M-80 into the locker room; but somehow Payton emerges as a super star with a long, record-breaking career.

Most of the book's suspense is reading how Payton flourishes under these huge obstacles.

Another source of fascination is the paradoxical personality rendered: Payton is an aspiring Christian yet an adulterer, a self-aggrandizing fop yet one who visits sick and dying children in hospitals. All of Payton's demons and his struggle to be a good person are laid out with honesty and compassion.

One of the most devastating revelations is the way Payton sulked during his team's Super Bowl victory because he didn't make any touchdowns and felt forgotten evidencing his hyper sensitivity and egotism....

The book is well researched with back stories on all the principals including Payton's high school and college coaches, the Bears' owner and coach, and other important players but Pearlman does it in a way as to keep the narrative moving along at a fast clip.

Highly recommended. Read more ›

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Filled With Negativity December 28, 2011

By Larry Dean Mitchell II

Format:Hardcover

I had requested this book for x-mas, because of all the controversy that was surrounding it. I had heard through vast media outlets that several of Payton's former team-mates and coaches were disgusted of the author's portrayal of one of the greatest running backs ever to play the game. Needless to say, I was anxious to start reading about one of my childhood "heroes"; after starting the book I felt as though the author had not done Payton any wrong, he simply stated information that had been shared with him through a vast amount of interviews.

Was I disappointed in the way Payton appeared to have lived his personal life? Yes! but it was his life to live not mine, or anyone else's. Could he have been a better father, especially to the son he fathered out of wedlock, as well as to the children he had with his wife? Most definitely! It is my personal opinion that the author gave a fair assessment of a man that had great athletic ability, but had many personal flaws, as a lot of people do. This book is not a book "bashing" Walter Payton's character; it is a book showing that professional athletes are nothing more than just that...an athlete! They are not perfect, even though we try to make them out to be. They are individuals that are blessed with "God-given" talent, and are often flawed as most humans are. The information that was divulged in this book did not make me GASP in disbelief, it simply proved to me that Walter Payton was an individual who had good qualities, as well as "not so good". It really showed that he was an individual who did not appear to be completely satisfied with his life, and had trouble dealing with life after football.