To the Chicago Bears’ star running back, Payton was known for his career, athleticism, sportsmanship and work ethic. While fans hold his professional accomplishments in high regard, very little is known about his personal life thus leaving many to ask, ‘Was Walter Payton married?’
Well, the answer is yes he was married to Connie Payton. However, his marriage of 23 years did face its share of hardships.
In this blog post, we will be exploring the love life of the greatest NFL player and diving deep into his estranged relationship with his wife Connie Payton.
How Connie and Walter Payton Met:
In the early 1970s, while Payton was still playing for his college football team at Jackson State University in Mississippi, his coach played a significant role in introducing him to Connie Norwood, a student in the same university.
The pair allegedly hit off immediately. Their bond continued to strengthen along with the rise in Payton’s career and eventually led to their marriage in 1976, just as he was drafted as the fourth overall pick by the Chicago Bears.
Family Life:
The Hall of Famer had his first Jarrett Payton in 1980 who he shared with his wife Connie before later having a daughter named Brittney Payton in 1985.
About Connie: The Woman Behind the Legend
While the couple faced many challenges that come with a public relationship, Connie stood by Sweetness’s side till his last breath and helped him remain humble while he excelled in his career.
Talking to Pamela Noel of Ebony magazine in September 1984, Connie shared, “He hasn’t let any of this change him as a person. He’s still very level-headed and down to earth. But everybody says, ‘You know Connie, that has a lot to do with you because you haven’t let him change’
Influence Beyond the Field:
Although Payton was known for having donated thousands of dollars to his community anonymously, a major reason behind the prestigious NFL Man of The Year award having named after his honour, Connie contributed to his endeavours and the couple ultimately established the charitable Walter and Connie Payton Foundation.
The foundation focuses on the abused, neglected and underprivileged children in the State of Illinois.
With the mission “to take an active role in helping those less fortunate to find stability while providing positive opportunities needed to live their lives with dignity and pride”, Connie and Brittaney still operate the foundation, conduct an annual toy drive and keep his legacy alive.
Challenges:
Like any marriage, Connie and Walter’s marriage faced ups and downs. Nonetheless, while the couple remained together till the end, it is confirmed by Connie that the pair eventually separated later in their marriage.
Their union was however put to the test when claims of infidelity against the father of two started circulating leading to immense media scrutiny.
In the book Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton, Jeff Pearlman claimed that the NFL player had ‘extramarital affairs’ and wrote, “He kept a mistress for years and had other extramarital affairs, even while he publicly maintained he was happily married to his longtime wife, Connie”.
It is pertinent to note that Payton was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993 and Pearlman alleged that he not only invited his wife to the prestigious event, but his mistress as well.
He shared, “At his Hall of Fame induction — which should have been a highlight in his life — his wife sat in the front row. And his flight attendant girlfriend sat in the second. His longtime assistant was in charge of keeping them apart. Payton was miserable”, and claimed that Connie bluntly told the mistress to ‘have him’
However, Connie refuted these claims in an exclusive interview with ABC7 shortly after the book’s release and commented, “Some of what was said really did not happen, the only truth to that whole thing was that there was a lady there that Walter was involved with”, denying claims of having conversed with the said lady.
Connie also added, “But at that point too, the reality of it is, Walter and I had not even been together, we had been separated for a long time”, revealing that the couple had been living separately in the last 10 years of their marriage.
Additionally, the book that caused controversy disclosed that the most famous American football player had a child outside of marriage, a fact that Connie also attested to during the interview and said that she learned about him after Payton’s death.
Resilience:
Resilience: Despite facing numerous obstacles while being married they did not give up on each other but rather viewed them as part and parcel of life and faced them with determination
Payton’s Death:
Towards the end of the 1990s, he was diagnosed with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis a rare liver disease which later turned into Bile Duct Cancer. With Connie on his side as a primary caretaker, Payton was determined to overcome the cancer.
Unfortunately, Payton passed away on November 1st, 1999, at the age of 45, shocking the entire sports community as well as his family.
Walter Payton’s Legacy:
Since his death, Walter Payton’s wife has done a multitude of things to keep his memory alive. She still takes part in the NFL Man of the Year award that appreciates players annually for their outstanding performance in and out of the field apart from their charitable organization.
Conclusion:
While Walter Payton’s achievement in the field has influenced and inspired many young generations, his marriage to Connie Payton also testifies to their strong bond and shared respect for one another.
Although his personal life has faced many challenges, Connie’s unwavering support and tireless efforts have kept Walter’s spirit alive.