“But it was the people who got a chance to watch him—the fans, the people who loved him—they were going to keep him alive. So, it’s Bears fans and football fans from all over the world who have helped our family keep his legacy alive. I always tell people how grateful I am for loving him, loving us, and helping us as a family make sure that his legacy will last forever.”
If Jarrett sheds a tear while talking about his father, it’s most likely due to joy and not sorrow.
“I love the fact that people bring him up every single day because it makes it feel like he’s still around,” Jarrett said. “Does it make me sad? No, it doesn’t make me sad. It brings me joy to know that people still love him that much. I would be sad if people didn’t talk about him. People think that because of his death that it brings me pain and sadness. It really doesn’t because I know what kind of life he lived. He impacted so many people, he left his mark. The fact that people talk about him brings me joy. I love talking about him because it feels like he’s still here.”
Walter Payton is widely considered the best player in Bears history and among the top running backs of all time. He spent his entire 13-year NFL career with the Bears from 1975-87, missing just one game and retiring as the league’s all-time leading rusher with 16,726 yards. He was voted to nine Pro Bowls—second to Mike Singletary’s 10 in Bears history—set 27 Bears records and had his No. 34 retired. Sweetness also threw eight touchdown passes and led the NFL in kickoff returns as a rookie in 1975 with a 31.7-yard average.
Payton’s off-the-field exploits were just as impressive. He started his own foundation while playing for the Bears and anonymously donated thousands of dollars and toys to underprivileged children throughout Chicago.
His charitable efforts were a main reason that the prestigious NFL Man of the Year Award was named in his honor shortly after he passed away. It honors a player’s commitment to philanthropy and community impact as well as his excellence on the field. Over the weekend, Jarrett was in Arizona at the site of the Super Bowl with his mother, Connie, and sister, Brittney, to present the 2022 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award to Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
“My dad was giving gifts to [Chicago organizations] for a long time and they didn’t know where they were coming from,” Jarrett said. “He was doing it out of the kindness of his heart, being able to help young kids. It’s crazy…
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