Sweetness

The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton

By: Jeff Pearlman

Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner

At five feet 10 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.

Drawing from interviews with more than seven hundred sources, acclaimed sportswriter Jeff Pearlman has crafted 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 on and off the field. Set against the backdrop of the tragic illness that cut his life short at just 45 years of age, this is a stirring tribute to a singular icon and the lasting legacy he made.

©2011 Jeff Pearlman (P)2011 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Jeff Pearlman does the work of first-rate biography in his addictively readable Sweetness. He presents Walter Payton in all of his flaws and contradictions yet leaves you in the end with a much deeper appreciation of an uncommon man." (David Maraniss, Pulitzer Prize–winning author)

A Really Sweet Guy

I met Walter once. He lived next to my mother in Arlington Heights for 8 years before he moved to his mansion. My mother baby sat for Walter & Connie's kids occasionally. He was really a sweet guy, my mother loved Walter & Connie & the kids. The book was a bit of a downer as it detailed his many flaws, particularly infidelity. Still, I loved learning about his life story. He was a real "stud". Walter died of liver cancer at age 46, probably from taking so many unregulated pain medications during and after his his playing days. Football is a beautiful sport, but tough on the body. Excellent research, really good writing.

Good but...

Writer seemed obsessed with airing all of Payton's dirty laundry. He focussed too much on it. Also, he says to contribute to the Mayo Clinic, but made it sound like they kinda dropped the ball, when it came to Walter and transparency about his condition. Narrator mispronounced a lot of words, dissappointing.

I never really knew my childhood hero until now.

Walter Payton was everything that I thought he was and everything that I never would have believed him to be.

Still special!

Loved it! I love learning the real story about famous people and this book does this very well. Very well researched and you will really know Walter Payton better than the average fan.

Just great depth of his life

nothing is bad it was an awesome 👌 book enjoyed it to the fully 😀