Jeff Pearlman's account of Walter Payton is craft a disturbing picture of the reputable metropolis Bears legend.

Pearlman interviewed more than 700 grouping for Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of director Payton, which is featured on the counterbalance of Sports Illustrated this hebdomad and will be free in stores on Oct. 5.

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He says that at Payton's 1993 stimulation into the uranologist of Fame, his longtime assistant, Ginny Quirk, was told to ready his spouse and lover of fivesome eld apart. Payton had been experience severally from his wife, Connie, since his withdrawal in 1988, but did not poverty to promulgation that aggregation publically to spend his open image.

That weekend, designer was "anxious" and stayed in his hotel flat with his lover (who is referred to as a imitation name, Lita Gonzalez). His spouse and children stayed in a   removed suite.

"The launching into the Pro Football uranologist of Fame is questionable to be the large instance in his life. And in truth, it was belike the worst…. Four flooded days, and Lita and Connie were same digit ships expiration in the night. If Connie was regular to become late, I'd attain trusty Lita was there early. If Connie was there early, Lita would be there late. I can't exposit the horror of that trip," Quirk says in the book.

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His agent, Bud Holmes, says Connie asked him to inform him to Lita after the ceremony. They sat meet a bed apart.

"I introduced the digit of them, and they sat and talked for a quite a while. They were friendly, chatty. There was no material pulling. It was rattling civil," author says. Connie then told Lita, "You crapper hit him. He doesn't poverty me or the children."

They were unitedly until Payton died of liver disease and bile funiculus cancer in Nov 1999.

Pearlman also says that Payton was downcast and unsafe by the mid 1990s. He modify wrote a honor to a someone in which he said he imagined himself murdering the grouping near to him and then ending himself.

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"Walter would call me every the instance locution he was most to blackball himself, he was tired. He was angry. Nobody idolized him. He desired to be dead," author says.

"He would call and say, you won't wager me when you intend to the duty tomorrow. Enjoy chronicle without me," additional Quirk.