Jeff Pearlman says his Walter Payton biography misunderstood
Jeff Pearlman joined the show to talk about his new book on Walter Payton Sweetness.
Pearlman said he’s never gotten this much negative feedback on anything he’s ever worked on. He said it’s disappointing, because the book is misunderstood and many people haven’t read it yet.
“It’s so not a let’s slam Walter Payton book,” Pearlman said. “It’s a definitive biography of the book.”
Pearlman said he was not out to get Payton in any way. “This was a labor of love,” Pearlman said. “I love Walter Payton. I love his life more now actually understanding it.”
Pearlman also revealed some interesting facts about Payton. Pearlman said that Payton lied about his age to make himself look better in the Heisman race. And that Sweetness came from him yelling to a defender “Your Sweetness is your weakness.”
Pearlman said that he interviewed Payton in 1999 and he didn’t recognized him when he first met him because he was so ravaged by illness.
Pearlman said that he is really offended by people who say he’s out for a buck, because he truly loves Walter Payton.