If you were to hear Walton Payton’s nickname “sweetness” and you found yourself questioning why and you googled it, you might just find multiple supposed reasons why. Let us dig through the folklore and find the actual reason(s) Walter Payton was given his nickname.
The Top Five Reasons Why
There’s no one consistent answer, but there are several recurring themes. We will go through each reason, and you will decide which one sounds right to you.
His Personality
To know Walter Payton was to love him.
He told reporters when he was drafted by the Chicago Bears: “When I get through with Chicago, they’ll be loving me.”
Truer words have never been spoken.
Best friends (Photo courtesy of the NFL).
He brought people together, uniting them on game day. He created a chance for connection between people.
He also cultivated love and sweetness off the gridiron. The reason the Man of the Year award is named after him is because he created his own foundation while he played, donating money and toys to kids in need in Chicago. The most endearing part? He did it anonymously for the longest time.
Walter Payton’s legacy lives on, associated with one of the most meaningful and heartwarming awards in the NFL. How special is that?
His Athleticism
This theory mostly speaks for itself. Watching Walter Payton create magic on the field was like candy for the soul.
A reporter allegedly once said, “he runs so sweet that it gives me cavities just watching him.”
Walter Payton giving people cavities (NFL/YouTube).
They might want to consult their dentist on that one, but definitely, that is a mood.
His Magnetism
This is a tactful way of pointing out his success with the ladies. He was both smooth and sweet, with a hall of fame-worthy level of rizz.
We all have heard the story that Payton’s wife and girlfriend were at the same Hall of Fame induction ceremony, and his wife, Connie, at least didn’t know the other woman was even there.
Despite it sounding like a Carrie Underwood or Miranda Lambert song that’s going to end with cars being keyed at the very least, it wasn’t quite that spicy.
Again, Connie didn’t even know about the other lady. And the married couple had been separated for eight years.
Two GOATs (Walter Payton/X).
We are all flawed, and love and relationships make quantum physics look simple, so we’ll just leave it there.
What is never disputable is Walter Payton’s sweetness and rizz, as evidenced by his epic lyrics in the Super Bowl shuffle that will have your grandmother clutching her pearls, giving us a clue or two about how he is so good with the ladies and on the football field.
That One Time In College
There’s a recurring story from Walter Payton’s college days at Jackson State University that goes a little like this:
One of the best running backs to ever do it, Payton evaded a tackle on a play and shouted to the player, “sweetness is your weakness.”
It’s not clear if this is the story that explains the running back’s nickname; however, it just shows he had his lyrical prowess before he entered the NFL and delivered some of the best word play this world has ever seen in the Super Bowl Shuffle.
Walter Payton on The Super Bowl Shuffle set (Paul Natkin/Getty Images).
People Are Mean
Walter’s brother conjectured that the nickname actually originated from bullies making fun of his voice, which some people interpreted as soft and high-pitched.
Bet the bullies weren’t laughing when Sweetness stole their girl with that voice. Just saying.
This theory gets extra credence since it’s coming as close to the source as you can get, with it coming from family.
Why Walter Payton’s Nickname Matters
You can decide that it doesn’t. That’s up to you.
As a football historian, digging into the past is this author’s passion. History matters. The active portrayal of history matters.
Walter Payton and his son Jarrett at Wrigley Field (Fergie Jenkins/X).
Seeing people as full individuals, with flaws and skeletons in their closet, can be a source of transparency that some people enjoy.
Other people feel like seeing someone in their entirety is distressing, and they prefer to remember them for one facet of their lives. For example, only appreciating Walter Payton for his athleticism or his philanthropy and not for his flaws
Acknowledging, accepting, and loving a football great because of and not despite their flaws can be a powerful and nuanced experience.
Hopefully you got to know “sweetness” just a little bit better.
Want to get to know other football greats from the past? Click here for more.
