I cannot overstate my appreciation and gratitude toward the Lieberman clan. At the start of this project, they were my wife’s family. Now I feel as if they are mine, too. So, to Cathy, Lisa, Aaron, Julia, Elliot, Emily, and Bart—huge thanks. This project does not exist without your assistance and compassion.
Writing a book is a nightmare.
Those exact words appeared seven years ago in the acknowledgments of my first release, and while I try and wear a happy-happy-joy-joy face whenever possible, the sentiment remains undeniably true. I am, on the one hand, blessed to be able to do what I love. Journalism is my passion, and the long-form journalism that is the 180,000-word biography is my überpassion. Yet this sort of endeavor is also the most anomalous of pursuits. As the great Leigh Montville once told me, “It’s an unusual thing. You spend two years in a cave, you pop your head out to see the light for a couple of weeks, then you return to the darkness.”
In other words, I am a caveman. But, luckily, I keep great company.
I am continually blessed to work with the A-Team of literary support groups. Casey Angle, my researcher, is the Hannibal Smith of misplaced statistics, and Michael J. Lewis, Queens College’s finest, reads through material in the same manner with which B. A. Baracus mourns for fools. My spiritual guru/tax attorney, Stanley Herz, knows absolutely nothing about sports, but his keen eye and instinctive sense of timing remain invaluable. I cannot say enough amazing things about Don Pierson, the former Bears beat writer for the Chicago Tribune, who took my calls and e-mails without once cursing me out. If I gained nothing else from this book, combing through years of Don’s clips introduced me to one of the true masters of the trade.
David Black, my Brooklyn-based agent, is the king of righteous representation, and David Larabell and Allison Hemphill are dukes of decency. Paul Duer, thirty-feet-from-the-hoop huckster, and Gary Miller of the Raleigh Canine Book Club & Donut Shop, continue to offer sage advice. This was my first book for Gotham, and I’d like to thank the whole crew for a fabulous experience. Patrick Mulligan, the quiet editor who was initially described to me as a “mystery man,” was nothing of the sort. His deft touch will forever be appreciated. Equal gratefulness goes to Travers “I’m the Man!” Johnson and Gary Mailman.
From Columbia to Jackson to Chicago and all points in between, I interviewed 678 people for this book. Some were thrilled to talk. Others, ahem, not so much. But I am forever indebted to anyone who helped me complete this journey. Early on I was fortunate to have audiences with Charles Boston, Bud Holmes, and Bob Hill, three quirky/unique/bighearted men who I am better for knowing.
I encountered three cornerstones in Ginny Quirk-Alberts, Kimm Tucker, and Linda Conley—the women who knew and loved Walter most. Ginny and Kimm could, in all seriousness, double as Walter Payton encyclopedias. Linda, meanwhile, is working on her own Sweetness memoir, but was kind enough to step away from her notes and speak freely. I am grateful beyond words to all three.
Forrest Dantin, Walter’s former high school teammate, was a marvelous source, and my belated condolences extend to his family for his passing. Vernon Perry and Robert Brazile surrendered precise details on the Jackson State years, and Jack Pardee, Neill Armstrong, Mike Ditka, Bob Thomas, Bob Avellini, Roland Harper, Johnny Roland, Jay Hilgenberg, Jim Covert, Willie Gault, Thomas Sanders, Calvin Thomas, Steve Fuller, and so many others followed suit when it came to the Bears. Matt Suhey, Walter’s blocking back and, later, the executor of his estate, walked cautiously throughout, but with genuinely righteous intentions. I had the pleasure of lunching with two of Walter’s children, Jarrett and Brittney, as well as with Eddie Payton, his brother. All three should be very proud of the man they represent.
I spent the majority of my time working on Sweetness in a cornucopia of Westchester, New York, eateries and coffee shops. The employees became my coworkers, and I theirs. To Cosi’s Anthony Bocchino; Donna Massaro of Mahopac’s amazing Freight House Cafe; Starbucks’ Yvonne Parks, Laurie Belfiore, and Sara La Marca; Panera’s Anthony Gibbs, Cynthia Reeves, and George Kutty; Michelle Thompson of the Mirage Diner (A note to all the drunk Iona students: Tip more than $1. Really.)—huge thanks for the banter and kindness. Oh, and big ups to Mandy, the tattooed, late-night waitress at Howley’s in West Palm Beach. Those twenty-three coffee refills kept me sharp.
As a New Yorker, I grew up with a certain perception of Mississippi—and it was not an especially good one. Researching this book, however, introduced me to a state rich with flavor, passion, and, quite often, overflowing goodness. Richard Howarth of Square Books in Oxford (seriously, America’s best book shop) was invaluable in pointing me in the right direction. Jesse Bass of the University of Southern Mississippi busted his rear combing through the city of Columbia’s vast archives. Laura Love, a senior library assistant at Ole Miss, delivered me from microfilm hell, as did Dorothy Yancy, Lerekka Gorham, and Belva Cauthen at the Eudora Welty Library in Jackson and Kendra Smith at the Columbia-Marion County Public Library. Roy L. Washington and Mildred Matthews were as helpful as could be at the Jackson State University Library. Without Tabatha Allen, Columbia’s upbeat city clerk, I’m lost.
In no particular order, I’d also like to cite the contributions of Meghan Scott, my dazzling Web designer; Jerry B. Jenkins, author of another Sweetness ; Chuck Hathcock of the Grenada Star; Joy Birdsong, Susan Szeliga, and Natasha Simon of the Sports Illustrated library; Don Yaeger, author of Never Die Easy; Aaron (DJ White Owl) Handelman; Brian Allee Walsh; Craig Harvey of the L.A. County Coroner’s Office; Ciaran Boyle; Jill Cohen, Debra Mayblum, and Diana Waxler, my chief medical consultants; Caroline Goldmacher Kern; David Pearlman; Jessica Guggenheimer; Norma Shapiro; Leah Guggenheimer; Jordan and Isaiah Williams; Richard Guggenheimer; Laura and Rodney Cole; Dr. Jorge Ortiz of the Albert Einstein Medical Center; Saman Salih; Bianca Webster; Frank Zaccheo; Russ Bengtson; Greg Kuppinger; Jill Murray; Joseph (Cat) Kuppinger; L. Jon Wertheim; B. J. Schecter; Bev Oden; Steve Cannella; Ryan Gavin (the pride of Kansas State); Rob Massimi (Mayor of Starbucks); Judy Wertheim (great pad!); Jonathan Eig; Pat Brown of The Magee Courier; David Epstein of Sports Illustrated; ESPN’s Rob Tobias; Bob Doyle; Ann Goldstein; Abe Pearlman; and Mahopac’s own Victoria Rose Omboni—distributor of Quan to the world.
When I was losing my mind one particularly awful night, Peter Richmond, my fellow crazed author, IMed me the following: “Step back. Breathe. Have a glass of wine. Tell yourself that NO ONE could tell this story except you. And, more importantly: that you want to tell this story, even if, at this point, you’d rather not. Just . . . write what you know. You are, at this point, in possession of a PhD in Walter Payton—a degree which no one else possesses. You have surrounded the story. You are the expert. Tell it. Don’t worry about profundity, or brilliance of prose, or all the other trappings of this silly business. Just tell the tale. People will read.”
Man, did I ever need that.
My folks, Joan and Stan Pearlman, have been my biggest supporters ever since I started forcing them to listen as I read my Chieftain articles aloud on their bed. Against all logic, they continue to listen to my blatherings.
This is my fifth book, and never have I devoted more time, energy, and anguish to a project. For every minute I spent thinking about Walter Payton, there was a minute I was either emotionally and/or physically absent from my family. I would like to apologize to my beautiful children, Casey Marta and Emmett Leo, for any of the missed moments that we’ll never have back. I love you both more than I’ve loved anything. Even Hall and Oates.
My wife, Dr. Catherine Pearlman, is the gem of my life. I can’t imagine what it’s like to be married to someone who utters “Walter Payton” every fourth sentence, but you continue to stroll the sandy beaches of Blanes by my side (mmm—Shrek pops). To quote someone named G. Moore: “Other men said they have seen angels. But I have seen thee. And thou art enough.”
Lastly, a word about Walter Payton. Actually, three words: I love him. I love what he overcame, I love what he acc
omplished, I love what he symbolized, and I love the nooks and crannies and complexities. Once, not all that long ago, I asked my uncle, Dr. Martin Pearlman, whether he thought much about aging and death. His response has stayed with me. “No,” Uncle Marty said, “I try to think about the richness of life. It’s more fun that way.”
NOTES
CHAPTER 1
3 Chip Loftin had a festive party on his fifth birthday: “Chip Loftin Has Festive Party On Fifth Birthday,” Columbian-Progress, April 16, 1970.
5 In 1937 Marion County’s Historical Society commissioned: Marion County Historical Research Project, January 21, 1937, by Maggie Byrd and Gizelle Sylverstein.
5 “The first meal I ever cooked”: Janet Harrison English, “Most Valuable Biscuit-Maker,” Jackson Clarion-Ledger, March 4, 1992.
6 Columbia was a place where the camellias: Industrial Survey of Columbia, Miss., by the New Industries Department Mississippi Power Company, 1962.
6 “Back then we didn’t have birth control”: “Mrs. Alyne Payton: A true definition of the world ‘Mother,’ ” Jackson State University Athletic Foundation News, Fall 2001.
7 When Walter and his Bluff Road pals weren’t weaving through dill stacks: Mark Sufrin, Payton (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1988), 38–39.
8 James Meredith, who in 1962 became the first black: Paul Hendrickson, Sons of Mississippi (New York: Vintage, 2004), 68.
8 “I told my children I was going to raise them”: “Mrs. Alyne Payton: A true definition of the world ‘Mother,’ ” Jackson State University Athletic Foundation News, Fall 2001.
9 He also manned a five-acre garden: Walter Payton with Don Yaeger, Never Die Easy (New York: Random House, 2001), 21.
9 “We didn’t have a babysitter”: “Mrs. Alyne Payton: A true definition of the world ‘Mother,’ ” Jackson State University Athletic Foundation News, Fall 2001.
10 “When Tarzan was over”: Walter Payton with Jerry B. Jenkins, Sweetness (New York: Contemporary Books, 1978), 21.
12 Alyne’s goal was to win the Columbian-Progress’ Yard of the Week: Rick Telander, “Bears’ Unclear Situation Gives Payton Plenty to Worry About,” Chicago Sun-Times, January 26, 1996.
12 “It rains like you wouldn’t believe during the summer”: Payton and Yaeger, Never Die Easy, 23.
12 “[My mother is] probably the reason I’m so muscular”: Bobby Hall, “Payton Finds His Place In College Football’s Society,” The Commercial Appeal (Memphis), November 9, 1974.
13 Whenever Alyne stumbled upon a vintage: John Husar, “Mama The Coach,” Chicago Tribune, September 30, 1977.
14 “When you have an angry sister chasing you with a broom”: Tom Fitzgerald, “Sibling rivalry at Payton’s place motivated runner,” The Topeka Capital-Journal, November 30, 1999.
15 Afterward, everyone would retreat to Cook’s Dairy Delight: Anna Nixon, “Mrs. Cooks: A favorite spot since the 1950’s,” Columbian-Progress, August 6, 1987.
16 “Eddie loved school and he loved football”: “Mrs. Alyne Payton: A true definition of the world ‘Mother,’ ” Jackson State University Athletic Foundation News, Fall 2001.
17 “I look back at my style of playing football, and that evolved”: Payton and Yaeger, Never Die Easy, 29.
CHAPTER 2
24 “The first time I got the ball in practice”: Payton and Jenkins, Sweetness, 37–38.
25 On October 30, 1969, the Columbian-Progress actually ran: “Jefferson High,” Columbian-Progress, October 30, 1969.
CHAPTER 3
31 With its April 10, 1969, staff editorial, titled RACE DIFFERENCES: Lester Williams, “Race Differences,” Columbian-Progress, April 10, 1969.
32 Thurman Sensing, a columnist for the Progress and executive vice president: Thurman Sensing, “HEW’s Attack on Freedom of Choice,” Columbian-Progress, January 1, 1970.
35 Eight teenagers, all white, paraded back and forth: Bill Crider, “Desegregation Comes Quietly At Columbia High School,” Associated Press, January 6, 1970.
CHAPTER 4
39 On April 27, 1970, Columbia High announced the hiring: “New Columbia Wildcats Coach is Announced,” Columbian-Progress, April 30, 1970.
42 As is often the case, the game failed to meet: “Columbia Wildcats Paw Bulldogs 14-6,” Columbian-Progress, September 10, 1970.
45 “It was a long [run], and I was hit”: Payton and Jenkins, Sweetness, 44.
47 “I began to see that once in a great while you can use”: Ibid.
CHAPTER 5
57 “I didn’t let them fight”: Telander, “He’s Aiming to Make History,” Sports Illustrated, September 5, 1984.
58 That spring a portly defensive assistant from Florida State: Steve Conroy, “Football Bill misses Payton’s place,” Boston Herald, July 19, 1994.
59 The school had gained fame for producing Willie Heidelburg: Rick Cleveland and Billy Watkins, “It took rare type to integrate college football,” Jackson Daily News, July 1, 1984.
60 “The campus was as beautiful as I remembered it”: Payton and Jenkins, Sweetness, 51–52.
61 Alyne Payton—strong-willed, tough, focused: Sufrin, Payton, 51.
62 A rugged former lieutenant commander in the navy: Kansas State University Library, Exhibit: K-State Presidents & Their First Ladies.
CHAPTER 6
65 “Before it’s too late, you had better start thinking”: Jonathan Grant, “Awaken Black Youths,” The Blue and White Flash, November 1971.
66 Grant’s piece ran alongside another column: Tommie Steen Calhoun, “A Black Man’s Hope,” The Blue and White Flash, November 1971.
66 The altercation began when police mistook the sound: Jesse Crow, “Person of the Day: James Green,” Jackson Free Press, April 27, 2010.
68 “I was feeling right at home”: Payton and Jenkins, Sweetness, 56.
76 The paper finally got around to the Tigers: Orley Hood, “J-State Seeks Improvement,” Jackson Daily News, September 5, 1971.
80 Walter Payton’s first collegiate touchdown: David Boone, “Jackson St. Rattles Bishop,” Jackson Daily News, October 10, 1971.
CHAPTER 7
83 “If you have to come under control to make a cut”: Don Pierson, “The Last Word,” Chicago Tribune, November 7, 1999.
86 “At first I was glad to room with people”: Payton and Jenkins, Sweetness, 61.
88 The Tigers were returning twenty-three lettermen: “Frosh Stars, 23 Lettermen Set For Play At Jackson State,” The Clarion-Ledger, September 3, 1972.
93 A sellout crowd arrived at Memorial Stadium the following: Billy Brantley, “Jackson State Rips Kentucky State, 28-14,” The Clarion-Ledger, October 1, 1972.
CHAPTER 8
96–97 She was even a standout dancer: Payton and Yaeger, Never Die Easy, 60.
97 “I was very surprised to hear Walter’s distinctive, high-pitched voice”: Connie Payton, Jarrett Payton, and Brittney Payton, Payton (New York: Rugged Land, 2005), 28.
97 “We spent that evening just kind of talking about her”: Payton and Yaeger, Never Die Easy, 60–61.
98 “When it was dinnertime, he wouldn’t eat”: Ibid., 61.
99 “A greyhound with muscles”: Red Smith, “Philadelphia Story,” The New York Times, January 12, 1981.
100 A mere three months later, Montgomery ran for 146 yards: “Faces in the Crowd,” Sports Illustrated, November 12, 1973.
101 Yet despite the sludge, and despite Omaha stuffing: “Sloppy Field Didn’t Stop JSC’s Payton,” The Clarion-Ledger, September 13, 1973.
102 In the immediate aftermath of the Omaha victory, Mississippi Governor Bill Waller: “JSC’s Payton Lies In ‘SWAC Shadow,’ ” The Clarion-Ledger, October 4, 1973.
102 They entered the game 1-3: “Rebounding J-State Welcomes Bishop For First Home Date,” The Clarion-Ledger, October 5, 1973.
105 Yet even though Waller officially proclaimed October 20: Ponto Downing, “J-State, Grambling Head Small College Attractions,” The Clarion-Ledger, October 20, 1973.
&n
bsp; 106 “Payton is fantastic,” Robinson said: Bernard Fernandez, “Payton Marked Man,” Jackson Daily News, November 20, 1973.
106 Some of the pain was lessened: Al Harvin, “Jones Heads Black All-Americans,” The New York Times, December 20, 1973.
CHAPTER 9
108 “Most of the time, I thought, ‘You can have him’ ”: Debra Pickett, “We were opposite, opposite,” Chicago Sun-Times, May 12, 2002.
110 “Long range, long-shot prediction”: Walter Payton, Jackson State running back”: Dick Young, “Young Ideas,” The Sporting News, July 6, 1974.
111 “The Payton-for-the-Heisman drive”: “Payton a ‘Heisman’ hopeful,” Pascagoula Press, September 1, 1974.
111 “There’s no comparison,” Payton told: “Quotable,” The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, January 14, 1975.
112 “What Walter really needs is exposure”: “Flash Talks To Frank Banister,” The Blue and White Flash, November 21, 1974.
113 “Lots of newspapers around the nation don’t even print”: Bernard Fernandez, “Payton Finding Place in sun at Jackson State,” The Sporting News, November 30, 1974.
114 With his death less than two months before the start: Carlos Boyd, “Former Wyoming line coach dies,” The Denver Post, May 6, 2001.
116 The Tigers won 75–0: John Stamm, “Tigers Rout Omaha 75-0,” Jackson Daily News, October 6, 1974.
116 Four days later, the Associated Press named: “Buckeyes’ Griffin Back Of Week,” The Clarion-Ledger, October 9, 1974.
Sweetness Page 56
