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Dr. Z: Sweetness and might
Posted: Monday November 01, 1999 08:54 PM
Sports Illustrated NFL writer Paul Zimmerman talked with CNNSI.com about Walter Payton's career and legacy. CNNSI.com: You covered Walter Payton for much of his illustrious career. Do any particular games or moments stand out? Dr. Z: Yeah -- the playoff game against Dallas in 1977 when Cliff Harris, one of the hardest hitters who ever lived, caught him with a knockout shot. As Payton caught a swing pass and turned upfield, Harris flattened him with a vicious hit. Harris was amazed that, right after he leveled him, Payton bounced back up, patted Harris on the behind and ran back to the huddle. Harris told me that he'd always heard you couldn't keep Payton on the ground. And after that hit, he believed it. I also did a tape breakdown of the game in 1984 against the Saints when he broke Jim Brown's rushing record. Payton got the record on his second carry of the second half, but he actually got stronger as the game went along. He got stronger, and the Saints defenders got tired. As he did many times in his career, Payton just wore the other team out. CNNSI.com: Payton's running style wasn't to run around defenders, it was to run over them. How did he manage to take such a beating and still last 13 seasons? Dr. Z: He wasn't trying to get hit; he was always trying to get away from defenders. But Payton knew how to attack when a defensive player was not in full balance. He could maintain his own balance better than any other runner. Defenses tired, and he attacked them. He played running back like a linebacker. Also, Payton's conditioning program was second to none. He would run up and down those steep levees in Mississippi. His preseason workout regimens were so brutal, he burned everyone who tried to keep up with him. CNNSI.com: How does Payton compare to the other great NFL running backs? Dr. Z: Not gifted with the extraordinary, almost freakish talent of a Jim Brown or a Barry Sanders, but more durable, with more stamina. The only other runner I've ever seen who played with such a fury was Bronko Nagurski. Payton was a mild-mannered guy off the field, but on it, he seemed to every now and then get really mad. He would attack people. CNNSI.com: Did not getting the opportunity to score a touchdown in Super Bowl XX haunt him? Dr. Z: One-yard touchdowns are overrated. If William Perry can score one, as he did in that Super Bowl instead of Payton, then anyone can. [Payton's not scoring a touchdown] haunted writers writing about him, but I don't think it haunted Payton himself. If it did he had too much class to whine about it. CNNSI.com: So, how should he be remembered? Dr. Z: As a good person, a dedicated athlete. One of the hardest workers
the sports world had ever seen, and a great talent. He showed that you don't
have to be a bad guy or a wise guy to be successful at professional sports.
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