Sweetness (83 page)

337
“One by one, he tugged at the fingers”
: Anderson, “Walter Payton’s Last Time,”
The New York Times
, January 11, 1988.

CHAPTER 22

355
The first time Payton drove at famed Lime Rock Park
: Bruce Newman, “Walter Payton,”
Sports Illustrated
, August 2, 1993.

CHAPTER 23

358
Best known as Craig
: Scott Fowler, “Miami Loses CB Judson, Four Others,”
The Miami Herald
, March 30, 1990.

359
Among the first to be auditioned
: Greg Cote, “Dolphins Likely to Sign RB Today,”
The Miami Herald
, October 25, 1989.

360
“I always felt that Walter was one”
: Jim Thomas, “4-Wheel Drive: Unusual Quartet Homes in on Paydirt,”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
, January 20, 1993.

361
Raised in a housing project on the south
: Tim Poor, “Fumbled Away; Behind-the-Scenes Turmoil Doomed NFL Hopes,”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
, December 5, 1993.

361–62
Growing up in Philly, he sold sodas
: Jerry Clinton with Rob Rains.
Accept the Challenge
(St. Louis: Reedy Press, 2007), 89.

362
“He had on a blue pinstripe suit”
: Poor, “Fumbled Away; Behind-the-Scenes Turmoil Doomed NFL Hopes,”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
, December 5, 1993.

362
Payton had first outwardly expressed
: “Payton Considers Buying NFL Team,”
The Washington Post
, August 7, 1986.

363
Payton and Clinton were first introduced
: Thomas, “4-Wheel Drive: Unusual Quartet Homes in on Paydirt,”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
, January 20, 1993.

363
“This is a difficult track”
: Clinton and Rains.
Accept the Challenge
, 57.

363
“Jerry was just kind of an ego guy”
: Payton and Yaeger,
Never Die Easy
, 144.

364
Despite mounting hostilities between
: Poor, “Fumbled Away; Behind-the-Scenes Turmoil Doomed NFL Hopes,”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
, December 5, 1993.

364
Shortly thereafter, bonds to
: Thomas, “4-Wheel Drive: Unusual Quartet Homes in on Paydirt,”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
, January 20, 1993.

365
“The demographics are there”
: Mitchell, “St. Louis could become Payton’s place,”
Chicago Tribune
, March 11, 1990. 366
“You know what?”
: Payton and Yaeger,
Never Die Easy
, 145.

366
On September 9, 1993, the partnership
: Poor, “Fumbled Away; Behind-the-Scenes Turmoil Doomed NFL Hopes,”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
, December 5, 1993.

368
Although Walter Payton would never
: Brian Hewitt, “Payton High-steps Into the Hall,”
Chicago Sun-Times
, January 31, 1993.

368
“I have mixed emotions”
: Jay Mariotti, “Was Vote Unanimous? It Doesn’t Matter, Walter,”
Chicago Sun-Times
, January 31, 1993.

368
One week later Payton, citing
: Pierson, “Payton misses his Hall induction,”
Chicago Tribune
, February 7, 1993.

369
Around this same time, Payton also turned
: Ivan Maisel, “Historical Perspective,”
The Dallas Morning News
, February 21, 1993.

369
A couple of days later, Payton groused
: Pierson, “Ex-teammates’ snub hurts: Payton,”
Chicago Tribune
, February 14, 1993.

369
The first person to come to mind was Jim Finks
: “Finks Was to Present Payton,”
The Times-Picayune
, August 1, 1993.

373
He missed an important Thursday
: Mariotti, “Honors Day Tugs, Tears At Payton,”
Chicago Sun-Times
, August 1, 1993.

374
“This is an historic event that my dad”
: Steve Springer, “Younger Payton steals show,”
Houston Chronicle
, August 1, 1993.

CHAPTER 24

382
“He ate junk”
: Mark Konkol, “Restaurant employee turned into good friend,”
Chicago Sun-Times
, November 1, 2009.

389
He spent several years as a member of the Chicago
: “Presenters named for 1993 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement,”
Business Wire
, July 15, 1993.

CHAPTER 25

393
He underwent further testing
: Payton and Yaeger,
Never Die Easy
, 202.

394
He delighted in seeing his boy
: Charley Walters, “What? Moss Wants to Play Pro Basketball, Too,”
Saint Paul Pioneer Press
, June 2, 1998.

394
“I wasn’t as hungry”
: Walter Payton, interview by Larry King,
Larry King Live
, February 3, 1999.

394
He swigged from bottles of Pepto-Bismol
: Payton, Payton, and Payton,
Payton
, 145.

394
“I had been traveling between Chicago”
: Payton and Yaeger,
Never Die Easy
, 203.

395
Tests were conducted
: Payton, Payton, and Payton.
Payton
, 145.

396
“His health was [starting to affect] his business”
: Payton and Yaeger,
Never Die Easy
, 204.

396
“I was not panic-stricken at this point”
: Ibid.

398
When Charley Walters, a staff columnist
: Walters, “Hall of Famer Payton at Mayo Clinic,”
Saint Paul Pioneer Press
, January 3, 1999.

399
Gores explained to Payton
: Don Babwin, “Doctors Discuss Payton’s Condition,”
Associated Press
, November 1, 1999.

399
“I was at level three”
: Payton and Yaeger,
Never Die Easy
, 206.

399
“This won’t get any better”
: Walter Payton, interview by Larry King,
Larry King Live
, February 3, 1999.

399
The average wait for a liver in Illinois
: Joe Gergen, “Description Irked Payton,”
Newsday
, February 4, 1999.

399
The success rate was 88 percent
: Bud Shaw, “Payton Puts Sports, Life In Perspective,”
The Plain Dealer
, February 4, 1999.

401
On the afternoon of January 29, 1999
: Steve Tucker, “Miami a sweet choice for Payton’s son,”
Chicago Sun-Times
, January 30, 1999.

401
“Miami is the best fit for me as a student”
: D. L. Cummings, “UM Feels Chipper Over Blue-Chippers,”
The Miami Herald
, February 1, 1999.

401
That evening Mark Giangreco
: Robert Feder, “Giangreco offers apology for jokes about Payton,”
Chicago Sun-Times
, February 3, 1999.

402
“That upset me beyond what you can”
: Payton and Yaeger,
Never Die Easy
, 212.

403
He gripped a white microphone
: Cote, “Day of Irony for Payton Family,”
The Miami Herald
, February 3, 1999.

404
“There was some unspoken comfort level”
: Shaw, “Payton Puts Sports, Life In Perspective,”
The Plain Dealer
, February 4, 1999.

404
Toward the end, Jiggets asked Payton
: Mike Lupica, “Sweetness Needs Liver: Explains, Doesn’t Complain,”
New York Daily News
, February 3, 1999.

404
Payton was the marquee guest
:
Larry King Live
, February 3, 1999.

406
Jay Leno sent a note that read
: Steve Schoenfeld, “Greene Lays Down The Law,”
The Arizona Republic
, February 14, 1999.

406
“Cry for him, pray for him”
: Mariotti, “Payton’s dignity shines through life’s dim reality,”
Chicago Sun-Times
, February 4, 1999.

406
“Never before have we had anything”
: Erica Key, “Payton sparks rise in organ donations,”
The Bloomington (Indiana) Pentagraph
, February 5, 1999.

406
Some thirty-odd letters came from people
: Don Yaeger, “One of a Kind,”
Sports Illustrated
, November 8, 1999.

407
Payton wrote back, and kept
: Jeff Pearlman, “A Hard Burden to Bear,”
Sports Illustrated
, February 22, 1999.

407
In early February a spokeswoman for Payton
: “Payton’s Disease Progressing,”
Associated Press
, February 12, 1999.

407
In April Dr. Joe Lagattuta, one of Payton’s
: Leslie Cummings, “Payton’s doctor says hero has good chance,”
Chicago Daily Herald
, April 16, 1999.

408
“I don’t feel sorry for myself”
: Payton and Yaeger,
Never Die Easy
, 225.

CHAPTER 26

410
When Payton was introduced
: Rick Gano, “Payton makes first pitch for Cubs,”
Associated Press
, April 12, 1999.

410
On the day after the first pitch
: “Payton Fatigued After His Appearance at Cubs Opener,”
Chicago Tribune
, April 13, 1999.

411
Payton’s final public appearance came
: Teresa Mask, “Faith gave Payton strength in last days, pastor says,”
Chicago Daily Herald
, November 4, 1999.

413
“One time we got stuck in traffic”
: Payton and Yaeger,
Never Die Easy
, 235.

413
“I never heard him say, ‘Why me?’ ”
: Ibid., 248.

414
That night, October 28, 1999
: Stephen Nidetz, “Payton’s Son Called Home,”
Chicago Tribune
, October 29, 1999.

CHAPTER 27

417
On the morning of April 5, 2000
: Judith Cookis, “Payton’s widow shares family memories,”
Chicago Daily Herald
, April 6, 2000.

418
President Bill Clinton issued a statement
: No byline, “Clinton Statement on Payton,”
Associated Press
, November 1, 1999.

418
A former Burger King drive-thru worker
: “Remembering Walter,”
Chicago Daily Herald
, November 7, 1999.

422
Between fifteen thousand and twenty thousand spectators
: Mask, “A most sweet sendoff,”
Chicago Daily Herald
, November 7, 1999.

422
The Sweet Holy Spirit Gospel Choir sang
: “Payton’s Soldier Field ‘encore,’ ”
The Star-Ledger
(Newark), November 7, 1999.

422
“In some respects”
: J. A. Adande, “Memories of Payton Raise Cheers During Service at Soldier Field,”
Los Angeles Times
, November 7, 1999.

422
“I remember this guy playing on this field”
: John Mullin, “Inspirational Leader Recalled,”
Chicago Tribune
, November 7, 1999.

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