Walter & Me: Standing in the Shadow of Sweetness

by Eddie Payton, Paul T. Brown, Craig Wiley

Widely regarded as one of the best football players to ever tie on a pair of cleats, Walter Payton led a fascinating and ultimately tragic life. Told in the voices of those who knew him best, this biography of the Chicago Bears legendary running back tells the inspiring account of the reward of hard work and is an uplifting testament to the power of the human spirit. It is a story of inspiration, redemption, and the deep passion two brothers felt for the sport of football. More than a decade after the untimely death of Walter Payton, his older brother recalls the moments they shared and the continuing sting of the loss of a legend. This glimpse into Payton’s life doesn’t sugarcoat the issues or glorify the late superstar, but rather it addresses the subjects of suicide, drug abuse, and infidelity head-on with intimate knowledge of the facts. In this candid take, Walter’s older brother discloses the true life of man simply known as "Sweetness."

Genres: Sports

256 pages, Hardcover

First published September 26, 2012

Reviews

[Arthur O'dell · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is not a biography of Walter Payton, it is an autobiography of Eddie Payton. There is nothing wrong with that, in and of itself, but the marketing materials for this book are somewhat misleading. Aside from childhood memories, there isn't much new here regarding Walter. The book attempts to address and/or correct statements made in Jeff Pearlman's recent biography of Walter, but there isn't any new evidence; just a "he said, she said and somebody's lying" approach. I admire Eddie's attempt to defend his brother's character, but he even admits to not being around when much of the controversial material happened. I am not trying to defend (or comment in any way) on Pearlman's book; I am just pointing out that the defense offered here will not convince anyone who isn't already convinced. All in all, it is worth a look if you are a fan of Walter Payton (as I am), but otherwise this'd is probably a pass.

[Antne Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book because I really like sports and football is my favorite, so this book looked really interesting. I did not think that the most topic of the story was going to be what it was, but it still was one of my most favorite books. This book still met my expectations even though there wasn’t as much football talk as I thought there was going to be.

One of the small things i didn’t like about this book is that some of the lines were repeated way too many times, just going on and on and on about the same thing just different people. For example when Eddie wanted Walter to go to the doctor after Walter said no so many times he was still asking him, once He finally said he would do it when he got home, Eddie was still asking him if he was actually going. Other than that factor this book is a really good one and that did not change my mind at all about this book.

I have never read anything else by Eddie Payton but I’m going to start to if he has any other books because I usually don’t like reading at all and I could read this one pretty easily. He mixes in enough football with the actual story so it just has good flow. Like i said before this is a very touching story and I could relate, not to my brother, but to one of my family members. Just like Walter was Eddie’s and so many more people’s hero they were my hero and many more.

This is definitely not a kids book because it has to do with very grown up situations and no kids should be able to read some of the vocabulary in this story. Anybody that likes stories about football and family stories, this is the book for you because it has both in one book. This book mixes those topics so well in this book that you can get into it enough and still have fun.

[Margo Dill · Rating 2 out of 5]

(One thing to note, which is admirable before you read the rest of my review: proceeds from this book go to Payton Family Foundation, which helps children!) I hate giving books a lower rating--I know how hard it is to write a book. But this one is just not what it promises in my opinion. If you are interested in reading about Walter Payton's brother, Eddie, then get this book because it is mostly about Eddie and his career and relationship with his brother. He wrote it to tell the "true" story of Walter after there is some controversy from another biographer, but it was just hard to get through. Too much, "ME, ME, ME" and too much informal voice. If you love football or the story of how someone gets to be in the NFL, then you will like this. Otherwise, it's probably NOT going to be a favorite of yours. SORRY!