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Sweetness, on and off the field

When Walter "Sweetness" Payton passed away Monday night of primary sclerosing cholangitis, a rare liver disease, the sports community not only lost one of its greatest athletes, but it lost a great person.

Payton was not obsessed with individual awards and honors, he stood for winning and was dedicated to the Chicago Bears.

When people told him that he was the greatest running back of all-time, Payton would simply smile and say, "I'm no Gale Sayers."

He was a humble man who captivated the city of Chicago with his squeaky voice and infectious smile. When doctors told him he would be unable to receive a liver transplant because he had bile duct cancer which would reject a new liver, his spirits never dampened. His only fear would be leaving behind his wife Connie, and their two children.

Though Payton lost the battle for his life, he never stopped fighting.

Payton came to symbolize what can be accomplished through hard work and a relentless work ethic. In his 13 seasons with the Chicago Bears, Payton set the standard for all running backs to be measured by.

At 5-foot-10 and 202 pounds, running backs are supposed to be fast and elusive, but also frail. Not Payton, he was tough as nails. He would rather run through an opponent than around him. This is a man who in his 13-year career missed one game due to injury. Just one game. That is unheard of for a running back. There was no weaknesses in Payton's running abilities, he could run through, around and over people.

He wasn't the biggest running back in the NFL, nor was he the fastest, but his desire, training and heart made him the greatest.

Often overlooked, though, were his blocking and pass-catching abilities. His ability to catch the pass along with rushing the ball made him the most dynamic offensive force the game has ever seen.

Payton's statistical numbers are staggering. He rushed for a NFL record of 16,726 yards in his illustrious career, had 10 seasons of 1,000 or more yards rushing, ran for 275 yards in one game - another NFL record - and was elected to nine Pro Bowls. In all, he holds seven NFL records and 28 Chicago team records.

More than the statistical numbers though, Payton will be remember for the person he was. There is no statistic that could measure the size of Payton's heart because he never quit, never on the football field or on his last days on earth.

His former coach Mike Ditka said it best, "people say 'Sweetness' was the way he ran, I think 'Sweetness' was the person he was."

Ditka was right, Payton was "Sweetness" and his life reflected it.