(S16) - PT1 - NFL

[TomHanks]

Well now growin’ up in Greenbow, we watched a lot of football, and I became real interested in the history of the league. So I’m gonna choose someone who’s been retired for a real long time and go with Walter “Sweetness” Payton. Watching highlights of him run are like nothing else. He was quick as can be and just when defenders thought they were going to tackle him, he’d make a move the other way and slip right by them. He’s definitely one of, if not the best, running backs to ever live. But it ain’t just ‘cause of his runnin’ that I want to be like Sweetness. He was all about leavin’ everything out on the field. He always fought to stay in bounds rather than running out like a lot of guys do now, and he always gave 110%. Every mornin’ he would do sprints up and down what’s now called “Payton Hill” in Illinois. When I was just startin’ out playin’ football, I happened to be in Illinois, and I decided to go for a run in Arlington Heights. That hill is tough to sprint up and down, runnin’ on a flat surface is much easier, but it shows the drive he had. Off the field, Sweetness was famously a great guy, and I don’t want to be a diva or anything like that. I just want to do what I can and help my team win.