The End

Now we all know more about Walter Payton, from his stats in football, to his fighting cancer, to his family, and foundations in memory of him.  What to take from this blog is that just because they were an icon/hero in a certain sport doesn't mean thats all who they are or were, you learn alot about a person by looking into who they are or were.  Walter is making a difference with his legacy, little boys will continue to look up to him in football, people fighting cancer will look up to him for hope and faith, and hopefully families can look at how he was a family man no matter what he took on or how busy he was he had time for the people who matter most.  Today in life all we care about is the "American Dream" we forget that little things mean the most, money can't buy happiness, tomorrow is gauranteed, either are the people around you.  The main thing i've learned from Walter is live each day as if its your last!

How to cope/deal with the loss of a loved one

I know all I talk about in my blog is about Walter, but what about his family.  When someone/ a loved one is lost, it's the family that you have to pray for and think about.  His wife lost a husband and best friend, his children lost their hero and their father, It's the worst feeling a person can feel, I know because i've lost my Step Dad, who was a best friend I could run to, a hero, and father.  Where do you go from rock bottom? 

According to helpguide.org Grieving is a personal and highly individual experience. How you grieve depends on many factors, including your personality and coping style, your life experience, your faith, and the nature of the loss. The grieving process takes time. Healing happens gradually; it can’t be forced or hurried and there is no normal time for grieving.  Some people may feel better in weeks to months, and some it takes years.
Some Myths about grieving:
Myth:If you ignore it, it will go away
Fact:  If you ignore it, it will only become worse
Myth:It's important to be strong in the face of others
Fact: feeling frightened or lonely is a normal reaction to loss
Myth:If you don't cry it means your not sorry for the loss
Fact: Crying is a normal response to sadness, but its not the only one, if a person doesn't cry they may have another way of showng their sadenss.
Myth:Grief should last about a year
Fact: There is no right time frame for grieving

According to psychiatrist Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

The five stages of grief:

• Denial: “This can’t be happening to me.”
• Anger: “Why is this happening? Who is to blame?”
• Bargaining: “Make this not happen, and in return I will ____.”
• Depression: “I’m too sad to do anything.”
• Acceptance: “I’m at peace with what happened.”

Some signs you might need professional help

• Feel like life isn’t worth living
• Wish you had died with your loved one
• Blame yourself for the loss or for failing to prevent it
• Feel numb and disconnected from others for more than a few weeks
• Are having difficulty trusting others since your loss
• Are unable to perform your normal daily activities

Theres always therapists you can goto at a hospital or clinic, or in school.  But if you don't feel comfortable talking about your problems with someone face to face there are hotlines you can call.
1-800-SUICIDE
1-800-448-3000
1-800-445-4808

And heres a website with a whole list of them if you'd like to check it out
http://healthhotlines.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/hotlines/FindOrg?IndexString=Suicide

Information on the cancer that took Paytons life.

Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis was the cancer that took Paytons life.  It spread so fast outside of his liver that he could no longer proceed with receiving a liver transplant.

What is Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis?  It is a disease of the bile ducts in your liver.  It is a progressive disease that leads to liver damage and will eventually cause liver failure.  Liver transplan is an option which is the only known cure for primary sclerosing cholangitis, but this transplant is normally reserved for people with severe liver damage, which in Paytons case it was too severe where he could no lonfer receive it.  (This information on the disease is found at MayoClinic.com )

Payton wasn't the type to treat this like it was a disease that was killing him, he was living each day as if it was his last, not letting the cancer win his last few days of life over.  He didn't want to talk about it, he just wanted to live his life.  The more and more I do research on Payton i've come to realize how much of an amazing guy he really was.  I grew up looking at him as an icon/hero/romodel.  But hes all that and then some, his view on life should be how everyone sees it.  Everyone is worried about the car they can't afford, their house payment they might not make, the wanting of a new outfit, worrying if they look good, plastic surgery, but the only thing Payton cared for was his family,friends, and team, and didn't care about superficial items.

Dedication/Motivation

When Walter Payton broke the NFL rushing record with 275 rushing yards in a game against Minnesota he had the flu.  Talk about dedication to a team, when most players now days get a cut on their lip they won't play.
It shows how much heart,motivation, and dedication he had for the love of football.  He was known to have a huge heart not only for the game but for his family, friends, fans, and his team.
Walter Payton is not only a hero "sweetness" for football, hes an all around hero in my eyes.  His nick name sweetness which was given to him in his college playing days for his smooth skills and movement, but the nickname sweetness could also go with his personality because he was a genuine sweet guy, who put others first.
Payton was also a smart guy, after his career with the Chicago Bears after he retired, he explored business opportunities with real estate, resteraunts, and race cars, but nothing held a candle to his dedication for helping other people.
Because of all his greatness he had accomplished, even though he has past he received man of the year award January 30th,2009

The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.

Paytons Foundation

“Children have always brought a tremendous amount of joy to me and I feel

that if you can catch them at a young age you can really change a life.

There are a lot of studies that show that one act of kindness to these

children has a 40% chance of making that child have a completely different

outcome in their life. What you hope is that you can get a kid to

believe in something and to believe in themselves.”

-Walter Payton #34

The Walter and Connie Payton Foundation.
What is this foundation about? 
Foundations Mission:
It's a foundation dedicated to the emotional healing of the neglected, abused, and unprivelaged children by providing tools and opportunities to build self esteem and encourage a better family unit, giving for a better future.
They have a Holiday giving program with in the Foundation which consists of:
They give new gifts for christmas time, where the WCPF provides for approximately 16,000 children, children that are in great need of a little hope, some dont get any gifts what so ever.
They also have a Sweetness Run which is a 5k and 8k walk/run.
School supply drive, which collects new school supplies for the children who are in need.

If you'd like to learn more and want to donate to a good cause the website to go to is...
http://www.payton34.com/article.asp?a=175

“My husband started his foundation, The Walter Payton Foundation, in the

hope of providing for the in-need and neglected children within the State

of Illinois who found themselves part of the DCFS program. So that we, his

family, could continue on with the integrity and dignity of the Payton name

in caring for these children, we needed to create; the Walter and Connie Payton Foundation. Walter made the Payton name mean something special and we,

his family, accept the challenge to make only good things

happen in the Payton name.”

Connie Payton

 

Giving back!

Walter Payton didn't only have a legacy with the Chicago Bears, but also with his final days alive he promoted an organ donation commercials and brought new awareness out to the public.  Today, his wife Connie and their two children Brittney and Jarret continue to promote Walters favorite charitable causes, through the Walter and Connie Payton Foundation.
Walters two kids Brittney is a college senior and then his son Jarrett who is following his fathers footsteps and plays for a professional Canadian Football League.  Brittany is also following in her fathers footsteps with her organization Youth for Life campaign which encourages the young community to register as organ donars. "We've all had ideas and come up with things and different stuff to keep his legacy alive,"  Brittany said in an interview with Oprah.  I believe in family legacy is a good thing to keep someones spirit alive and to make a family stronger and closer.  Giving back to others keeps their fathers mission alive.

Human vs. Record

In 1996 when Dallas Cowboys opened the season on a Monday Night Football against the Bears, Emmitt Smith hurt his neck at the end of a game diving over people for a touchdown.  It was a serious injury and was on the field for a very long time, where he was then transported to a hospital, so severe that they didn’t want him to move so they cut off his jersey.  Walter Payton left the game to be with Smith in the ambulance and the hospital to be by his side.  Mind you Emmitt was one to come close to Walter’s career rushing record, and that didn’t stop Walter from caring he put Emmitt first as a person then as someone who might potentially break his record. This is what Ed Werder(one of the most memorable reporters of his time) remembers most about Walter Payton.

Emmitt and Walter

This is something we can all learn from Payton.  Sometimes we have to stop and think of others before ourselves, another great reason why Walter Payton was icon, hero, inspiration to everyone.  He wasn't only an AMAZING football player, he was also a man with a huge heart!

Payton and his Jackson days

Jackson State University is historically known as a black university founded in Jackson, Mississippi in 1877. So jsutigers.cstv.come states.  This was where Walter Payton was a two time first team all american in the years of 1973 and 1974 where he ran 3,563 yards and scored 66 touch downs, with that saying he set the NCAA scoring record with 464 points. "He set a Southwestern Athletic Conference record for most points in a game and led the nation in  scoring in 1973 with 160 points." hall of fame .
At Jackson state he was a four year starter where he set nine school records, and was getting votes for getting the heisman trophy.  Walter chose Jackson because he was following his older brother Eddie, and wanted to be close with family.  Also at Jackson State this is where he got his nickname that everyone and anyone knows him as "Sweetness" granted no one knew his nickname till he started to play for the Chicago Bears.  Walter Payton kept his number 34 from Jackson State, and now that jersey is retired at both Jackson State and for the Chicago Bears.

The Early Days!

Walter Payton was born July 25th 1954 in Columbia Mississippi born to Alyn and and Peter Payton along with one other brother and a sister. Growing up at first Walter wasn't the athlete he was kind of hiding in the shadow of his older brother Eddie, instead he joined the school band in high school playing the drums and he joined a jazz band. His freshman year he joined track and feild where he got noticed by the football coach to come play football. Later Walter played football for his first three years at an all black school Jefferson High. He still played with the school band and stuck with track where he hit a scool record for his long jump. Later on he went to a school his senior year to a school that begun integration, Columbia High.  There wasn't many schools for black athletes to goto back then, but Payton had options but wanted to stick close to home so he got chosen for Jackson State where he was in fourth place for heisman trophy.  Walter Payton wasn't just a stereotypical football player he had really good grades!  He is a good role model for kids, teens, and really anyone who wants to be inspired.  Stay tuned, this blog will be getting exciting, tearful, and inspirational!


Michael Jordan is loved, Walter Payton is reveared. - Don Yaeger
He really was a symbol of everything Chicago likes to think it stands for, hard work, struggle, seizing the moment. -Ron Rapoport

Heres something you have to look forward to in my next blog...

The video I want to use is from youtube, and has copyright protection so i'll post the link that I think everyone should check out.  Have a tissue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAeo4ZqHC2c&feature=related

5'10 at 200 lbs sat Walter Payton. Payton played with pure heart and love for the game, he played each game as if it was his last, never gave up like some players these days do. Payton broke a lot of records, and set history. Many reasons why his stats are so amazing.
Walter Payton started his career at Jackston State where he rushed for 3,563 yards.  Then went to play for the Chicago Bears where he took over and dominated the rushing section in the NFL record book, during and after his career.
Walter Paytons recrods at the time of his retirement:
16,726 total yards rushing
275 yards alone just rushing in one game against Minnesota in 1977
4,368 combined net attempts
but held 21,803 combined net yards
Scored 750 points on 125 touchdowns
Payton won the NFC rushing title five straight years from 1976 to 1980
He also led the NFC with a championship in the kick off return
He was named ALL PRO, and  ALL NFC seven times and played in 9 pro bowl games
Payton was the guy you could always count on no matter what, he'd be playing in the game.  He missed one game in his rookie campaign, and then played in 186 consecutive games.

I got these records from NFL Hall of FAME

On Monday it was Martin Luther King JR day, which makes me think shouldn't there be a Walter Payton day?  I think so!  Walter Payton has set history, and became an icon in many peoples lives, many reasons why NFL players out there now on all different teams started to play football was because of Walter Payton. Payton was a nine time pro bowl selectee, and entered into the pro football hall of fame in 1993. Walter Payton will be a Bears Angel on Sunday the 23rd watching over the Bears while we win against the Green Bay Packers during play offs, then off to the Super Bowl 2011.  The day after Payton past away, the Bears played the Packers, and they had a moment of silence at all NFL games for Payton, during the game Bears vs. Packers Bears had beat Green Bay on the last couple seconds of the game by a blocked feild goal by Bryan Robinson, leaving the team and the fan base believing that Payton was watching over them! (Chicago Bears History).

Heres a little video that the bears did before the superbowl in 1986, and SWEETNESS, is pretty sweet in this old time video!!!  ENJOY!

Sweetness will never vanish, he is legend!

If you know football or have the love for the game, you will know or should know the guy who goes by Sweetness, number 34...Walter Payton!  Walter Payton's name will live on for eternity, Chicago Bears running back for 13 seasons from 1975-1987. Payton was known as "Sweetness" for his smoothness in his style, he was the leading National Football League rusher of all time until 2002 with a career total of 16,726 yards. Sadly Paytons life came to an end from an illness in 1999 called (PSC) Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis that spread cancer through out his body and soon Payton lost the fight on November 1st of 1999. 

Chicago Bears has always had an impact on my life growing up.  I was born the year Payton stopped playing football in 1987, my father who grew up and knew some Bears players from back in the day passed on the love of the game to me by the age of 1 day old I was in Bears diapers, socks, onesie, hat, jacket, and gloves...instead of bed time stories, I'd hear Walter Payton stories before bed, mind you growing up my father was only around until I was three, then came back when I was 16 giving me the only connection I felt like I had was being a Chicago Bears fan, and idolizing Walter Payton as a hero, and the prince in my bed time stories!

I'm starting this Blog as in MEMORY of Walter Payton, it'll be dedicated to facts, his life, his bio, things you may never have heard of, quotes, stories, and of course pictures!!  This is my first blog that's my own, so I thought what better way to write about then SWEETNESS!