Former Chicago Bears star Walter Payton and his wife, Connie Payton, were college sweethearts who became parents to two kids. But the book, published in 2011, Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton, revealed many highs and lows about their marriage.
Payton, born and raised in Columbia, Mississippi, had an outstanding career with Jackson State University, leading to his selection as an overall fourth pick in 1975.
Drafted by the Bears, the running back played for the iconic team for the entirety of his career until he retired in 1987.
Payton became part of the Bears when they were struggling after losing their star player, Gale Sayers, in 1972.
Jaguars DE Arik Armstead is the 2024 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year presented by @Nationwide! #WPMOY #NFLHonors@arikarmstead @Jaguars pic.twitter.com/O83L76668R
— NFL (@NFL) February 7, 2025
Though things didn’t click for Payton in his rookie year, the running back never looked back after his second season.
Two seasons after making his debut, in 1977, Payton won the NFL Most Valuable Player of the Year Award and also won NFL Offensive Player of the Year and NFL Man of the Year.
Payton made the Pro Bowl team seven times before the 1985 season and First-team All-Pro four times.
In the 1985 season, Walter Payton won his first and only Super Bowl ring after the Bears defeated the Patriots, 46-10, under Mike Ditka.
After he died in 1999, the NFL re-named the trophy NFL Man of the Year to Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, an honor celebrating one player’s all-around excellence and positive influence on the community.
Recently, the Jacksonville Jaguars’ DL Arik Armstead won the coveted trophy for his contribution to helping the education field through the Armstead Academic Project.
Walter Payton And His Wife, Connie, Separated But Never Divorced
The NFL star, Walter Payton, and his wife, Connie, were set up by Walter’s coach, Bob Hill, on a date when they were students at Jackson State University.
After his senior season, Walter declared for the NFL Draft and began his NFL journey.
But this also meant leaving behind his girlfriend, Connie. At first, Walter had a hard time adjusting to the league and didn’t even like the city of Chicago.
He felt lonely and miserable and would ask Connie constantly to accompany him to Chicago.
At one point, Connie’s short visits weren’t enough for Walter, and he asked her to drop out of Jackson State and move with him to Chicago.
Connie rejected the proposal, stating if he wanted to have her in Chicago, he must do it the right way.
As soon as Connie told Walter what she wanted, the footballer bought a ring and proposed to her.
@aisletellyouwhat Walter Payton proposed to Connie after his rookie season with the Chicago Bears. Did you know this? #aisletellyouwhat #walterpayton #connienorwoodpayton #conniepayton #loveblackhistory #chicagobears #hofer ♬ original sound – Aisle Tell You What
Payton began preparing for the wedding, and the wedding was anything other than over the top.
The footballer hired a local pastor at Jackson State and his two friends as his witnesses for the wedding.
But on the wedding day, Connie went to the mall with her friends and found Walter sulking when she returned home.
After seeing how mad Walter was about the situation, Connie finally agreed to tie the knot, and the two exchanged their vows on July 7, 1976.
But Connie and Walter’s marriage didn’t last for eternity.
Connie Addresses Stories of Walter’s Extramarital Affairs
In an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, Connie said she and Walter were separated for eight years before his demise in 1999.
They were already separated during Walter’s induction into the Hall of Fame in 1993.
The book Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton states that Walter and Connie’s marriage was a union solely in name.
His extramarital affairs had become common knowledge throughout Chicago, and he had told his close friends he would divorce Connie once their kids graduated high school.
In an interview, his long-time friend, Ron Atlas, said, “Walter knew that if he left Connie, all the work he’d done to his image would go by the wayside.“
During his time of induction, Walter was having an affair with a New Jersey-based flight attendant.
In her interview with the Sun-Times, Connie said it was stressful seeing Payton’s girlfriend at the ceremony, but contrary to the book, Connie never met her.
She also said Walter never disrespected her or put other women in her face.
To this date, Connie has never said anything disrespectful about her husband.
Connie is on the panel that selects the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year, alongside NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the previous year’s winner.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Walter and Connie Payton’s son, Jarrett Payton, followed in his father’s footsteps and played professional football for seven years. After retiring, Jarrett began working as a sports reporter and is currently a Television Host with WNG-TV.
- The couple’s daughter, Brittney Payton, is a television and internet personality and is married to Jordan Benson, with whom she shares two daughters.
