The book describes the Walter Payton worries



The book describes the Walter Payton worries

They called him the sweetness, but the Chicago Bears great Walter Payton had a dark side, according to a biography to be released on October 4.

Excerpt from "Sweetness: Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton," Jeff Pearlman will appear October 3 issue of Sports Illustrated, and describes the Hall of Fame, as suicide, abuse of painkillers and anti-collapsing family situation.

Payton, who retired, then all the time leading rusher in NFL history after 1987 season, was depressed and suicidal in the mid-1990s. Perlman cites a letter to a friend, in which Payton said he imagined killing those around him and then turn the gun on himself.

"Walter called me all the time saying he was going to commit suicide, he was tired," Payton said longtime agent Bud Holmes, according to SI.com. "He was angry. Nobody liked him. He wanted to be dead."

Executive Assistant to Payton, in Ginny Quirk, echoed these sentiments.

"He called and said:" You will not see me when you get to the office tomorrow, "'she said. "Enjoy your life without me. '"

Payton died of a rare disease of the liver and bile duct cancer in November 1999.

According to the book, Payton used the pain pills and liquids to deal with injuries during his playing days and the practice continued after he retired. Sources said that Pearlman took Payton cocktail of Tylenol and Vicodin, and all the tanks of nitrous oxide in his garage.

"Walter was beating his body with drugs," Holmes said. "I wish I knew how bad it was, but then I really did not."

According to the book, in 1988, Payton visited the dentist's office complaining about a toothache. He secured a few recipes for morphine, but raised red flags at least one pharmacist, who called the police. Peyton visited the officers, but received only a warning.

Even seemingly great time in my life were filled with Payton confusion, according to the book.

Peyton lived separately from his wife, Connie, after his retirement, but did not go public because his desire to protect their children and their image. He sees a woman for five years when he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993, and the two women appeared at the ceremony.

"Introduction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame is supposed to be the greatest moment in his life," said Quirk, who was accused by women of each other. "In fact, it was probably the worst. ... Four full days, and Lita (not her real name mistress Payton) and Connie were like two ships passing in the night. If Connie had come too late, I ' i see Lita was there before. If Connie was there early, there would be Lita's too late. I can not describe the horror of this journey. "

However, women did end up meeting.

"I introduced the two of them, and they sat and talked for a while," said Holmes, the shutter speed. "They were friendly, talkative. There was no hair pulling. It was very civil."

Connie asked for the meeting and in accordance with Holmes, Lita said, ".. You can have it, he does not want me or the kids"

Despite a history of depression and personal chaos, the book does not tell the brave side of Peyton. Knowing that he would die, Payton spent his last months of hosting former bears.

"I never heard him say," Why me? "" Guy Hall of Fame Mike Singletary said in the book. "I know what to say," Why me Why me there are other guys out there killing people -? Why me, "I've never heard of, say, Walter."

Former Bears offensive lineman Jimbo Hidden also marveled at the grace of Payton dire circumstances.

"I was there with 30 other guys," he said. "Walter took time to walk over and grab him personally and say, 'What are you doing? "- Just to get low on how you were Can you imagine how much the man he was forced to do what he knew he was going to die."?.

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