[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 162 (Tuesday, November 16, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H12040-H12043]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 RECOGNIZING AND HONORING WALTER PAYTON AND EXPRESSING CONDOLENCES OF 
                  THE HOUSE TO HIS FAMILY ON HIS DEATH

  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to 
the resolution (H. Res. 370) recognizing and honoring Walter Payton and 
expressing the condolences of the House of Representatives to his 
family on his death.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                              H. Res. 370

       Whereas Walter Payton was born in Columbia, Mississippi, on 
     July 25, 1954;
       Whereas Walter Payton was a distinguished alumnus of 
     Jackson State University, home of the Jackson State Tigers 
     and the nationally renowned Sonic Boom of the South;
       Whereas Walter Payton was known by all as ``Sweetness'';
       Whereas Walter Payton serves as the highest example of his 
     Christian faith and his sport in countless public and private 
     ways;
       Whereas Walter Payton was truly a hero and role model for 
     all Mississippians who had the privilege of watching him play 
     the game he loved so much;
       Whereas Walter Payton was viewed by his friends and former 
     classmates as a fun-loving, warm, and smiling man with a joy 
     for life, his family, and his sport;
       Whereas Walter Payton played the game of football with 
     unparalleled determination, passion, and desire;
       Whereas Walter Payton, an extraordinary Mississippian and 
     the National Football League's greatest running back of all 
     time, died leaving us great memories of personal and athletic 
     achievements;
       Whereas Walter Payton received national acclaim as a 
     running back and was the Chicago Bears' first pick, and was 
     chosen fourth overall, in the 1975 draft;
       Whereas Walter Payton played 13 seasons in the National 
     Football League;
       Whereas Walter Payton played a critical role in helping the 
     Chicago Bears win Super Bowl XX in 1986;
       Whereas Walter Payton was inducted into the College 
     Football Hall of Fame in 1996;
       Whereas Walter Payton was inducted into the Professional 
     Football Hall of Fame in 1993;
       Whereas Walter Payton holds the National Football League 
     record for career yards--16,726 yards;
       Whereas Walter Payton holds the National Football League 
     record for career rushing attempts--3,838 attempts;
       Whereas Walter Payton holds the National Football League 
     record for yards gained in a single game--275 yards in a game 
     against the Minnesota Vikings on November 20, 1977;
       Whereas Walter Payton holds the National Football League 
     record for seasons with 1,000 or more yards--10 seasons, 1976 
     to 1981 and 1983 to 1986;
       Whereas Walter Payton holds the National Football League 
     record for consecutive seasons leading the league in rushing 
     attempts--4 seasons, from 1976 to 1979;
       Whereas Walter Payton holds the National Football League 
     record for most career games with 100 or more yards--77 
     games;
       Whereas Walter Payton holds the National Football League 
     record for combined net yards in a career--21,803 yards;
       Whereas Walter Payton holds the National Football League 
     record for combined attempts in a career--4,368 attempts;
       Whereas one of Walter Payton's greatest achievements was 
     the founding of the Walter Payton Foundation, which provides 
     financial and motivational support to youth and helps 
     children realize that they can raise the quality of their 
     lives and the lives of those around them;
       Whereas the Walter Payton Foundation's greatest legacy has 
     been the funding and support of children's educational 
     programs, as well as programs assisting abused or neglected 
     children; and
       Whereas Walter Payton died on November 1, 1999, of liver 
     disease: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
       (1) recognizes and honors Walter Payton--
       (A) as one of the greatest professional football players;
       (B) for his many contributions to Mississippi and the 
     Nation throughout his lifetime; and
       (C) for transcending the game of football and becoming a 
     timeless symbol of athletic talent, spirited competition, and 
     a role model as a Christian gentleman and a loving father and 
     husband; and
       (2) extends its deepest condolences to Walter Payton's wife 
     Connie, his children Brittany and Jarrett, his mother Alyne, 
     his brother Eddie and sister Pam, and the other members of 
     his family on their tragic loss.
       Sec. 2. The Clerk of the House of Representatives shall 
     transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to the family of 
     Walter Payton.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from 
Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert).


                             General Leave

  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their 
remarks on House Resolution 370.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentlewoman from Illinois?
  There was no objection.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of House Resolution 370, which 
recognizes and honors Walter Payton and expresses the condolences of 
the House of Representatives to his family on his death; and I want to 
thank the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Pickering) for introducing 
this important resolution.

[[Page H12041]]

  We are here today to honor the life of Walter Payton, number 34 for 
the Chicago Bears. The tragic and all too early end to his life 
November 1 cannot obscure his greatness, not just as a football player 
but as a human being. It is not just his eight NFL records, from career 
rushing yards to number of 1,000 yard rushing seasons to yards gained 
in a game. It is not just his 28 Chicago Bears' records. The Bears 
often had great individuals. Walter Payton meant so much more to the 
team than just individual statistics.
  I still remember attending the 1963 NFL championship game in Chicago 
where the Bears beat the New York Giants 14 to 10. Unfortunately, this 
would be the last time any of us would see the Bears in the playoffs, 
that is until Walter Payton arrived. He began to carry the Bears with 
his work ethic, determination, and relentless pursuit of excellence. 
Sometimes it seemed that he was the only weapon the Bears had. And, 
finally, he led the Bears back up to the top in Super Bowl XX in 1986.
  Over the years that Walter Payton played, Chicago saw a renaissance 
in its sports teams. The White Sox and the Cubs made the playoffs, and 
Michael Jordan began to take the Bulls to the top. But Walter Payton 
was the first and the brightest, and the Bears owned Chicago because of 
him.
  More importantly, Walter Payton made his mark off the football field 
in a way that few athletes do. In truth, he gave back to Chicago more 
than Chicago could ever have given to him. He coached high school 
basketball, read to children in literacy programs, and made significant 
charitable contributions during and after his NFL career. His Walter 
Payton Foundation funds educational programs and helps countless abused 
and neglected children throughout the country.
  He was a successful businessman, always open to new ventures, from 
his restaurants to an Indy car racing team. But perhaps, most 
importantly, he was a successful father and husband. When his daughter 
Brittney joined his wife Connie in accepting the Life Award for him at 
the Arete Courage in Sports awards in late October, and when his son 
Jarrett addressed the media 2 weeks ago, we could see the same poise in 
them that the world saw in Walter Payton.
  Lucky are those whose lives were touched by this special man. Like 
most Chicagoans, I feel that somehow I knew Walter Payton; that he was 
one of us and we were better off for that.
  To his wife Connie, his son Jarrett, his daughter Brittney, and to 
all his friends, we are proud to send the Nation's condolences, and to 
remind them how much Walter Payton meant to the American people. His 
sweetness remains with us forever.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, over the last several weeks, this Nation has endured 
numerous reports of tragedies and deaths. Last week I came to the floor 
to express condolences on behalf of this body for the unexpected death 
of the great Payne Stewart, and in a few minutes I will do the same for 
Joe Serna, Jr., the recently decreased mayor of Sacramento, California.
  I followed the news reports of the 217 people who died on board Egypt 
Air Flight 990, and the gunman in Hawaii who shot and killed his office 
workers. But in all of these stories of death and despair is a story of 
life and how we choose to live each and every day of it.
  Walter Payton began his football career in 1975 at the age of 21. He 
was 5 feet 10 and 200 pounds. As the Bears' first-round choice out of 
Jackson State in Mississippi, he was an awesome human being. Payton, 
the NFL's career rushing leader, was called ``Sweetness'' because of 
the gritty and defiant way he ran the ball. His sweetness extended off 
the field, where he was known for his humor and consideration of 
others.
  House Resolution 370 recognizes Walter Payton for his career triumphs 
and for establishing the Walter Payton Foundation, which provides 
financial and motivational support to youth and helps children realize 
that they can raise the quality of their lives. This resolution cites 
Payton as a Christian who was viewed by his friends and former 
classmates as a fun-loving, warm and smiling man with a joy of life, 
his family and his sport.
  On February 2, when Walter Payton announced that he was suffering 
from a rare liver disease, he was frail and emotional. I shall never 
forget sitting at the television and watching him as the tears rolled 
down his face. Payton brought joy into the lives of millions of fans, 
but at 45 years old, only 45 years old, he needed the gift of life. His 
liver disease could only be cured by an organ transplant, a transplant 
he would never, unfortunately, receive.
  On November 1, Walter Payton died of a disease malignancy of the 
bowel duct. He had undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatment to 
stem the cancer. But because of the aggressive nature of the 
malignancy, and because it had spread to other areas, a liver 
transplant, even if a donor were available, could no longer save Walter 
Payton's life.
  By encouraging the 20,000 fans who attended a memorial service for 
Payton to register as organ donors, Walter Payton's family used his 
death to highlight the importance of organ donations and the gift of 
life. In other words, it was their effort to try to bring out of his 
death new life.
  I could not help but think of Walter Payton when it was reported that 
in my own district of Baltimore, Maryland, a 60-year-old mother of 
three from Bowie donated a kidney to a 51-year-old father from 
California. What was special about this situation was that it was a 
Good Samaritan organ donation. Good Samaritan organ donations, in which 
the donor offers an organ to a recipient who is a complete stranger, 
are very unusual. Most live organ donors are relatives or friends of 
the recipient.
  The donor, Sue Rouch, read about the desperate need for an organ 
donor in a newspaper and called various local hospitals offering to 
become a donor. She is quoted as saying, ``It's a gift. I'm a generous 
person, and giving and receiving is all part of the same circle of 
life.'' Last Friday, she gave her gift to Rick Sirak. If not for Sue 
Rouch, a generous and compassionate human being, Rick Sirak may have 
suffered the same fate as our hero, Walter Payton.
  Like Rouch, Walter Payton was a generous and caring man. He was 
famous and world renowned but he was a Good Samaritan who cared for the 
abused and the needy among us. He celebrated life and brought joy into 
the lives of so many he touched.
  Gregory Brown, coach of the Calumet Park Rams, a youth league team in 
Chicago, stated, ``Walter Payton was a true greatness, true poetry. We 
tell our kids to run like Payton on the field and act like Payton in 
your life.''
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

                              {time}  1645

  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Pickering), my esteemed colleague and 
the sponsor of House Resolution 370.
  Mr. PICKERING. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support and as a proud sponsor 
of this resolution before us.
  The gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) and her great State had 
the privilege of watching Walter Payton play for the Chicago Bears. But 
in Mississippi, he was our native son and he made us all proud in a 
place that takes football very seriously, where there is Bret Favre, 
Jerry Rice, the NFL MVPs that we see and watch today on Sundays.
  But it was Walter Payton, it was sweetness, that first broke through 
and created the greatness and the pride that we have in Mississippi. He 
was a tremendous ambassador and representative of our State and one of 
the greatest running backs of all time.
  I am sad to say that, with his passing, we will no longer enjoy his 
example off the field, but we will have the memory and the legacy of 
what he did both on the field and as a person and as a father.
  I remember well watching his son introduce him and speak for his 
induction into the Hall of Fame. What pride would any father have to 
see a son stand and introduce them into the place where their peers and 
where history records greatness. But to go to a son, something never 
done before, to make that introduction was a great example of the 
priorities of Walter Payton's life.
  He was a native of Columbia, Mississippi. I am proud to join with my

[[Page H12042]]

colleague, the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Shows), who represents 
Columbia and who will join us today in speaking of Walter Payton. He 
was an alumnus of Jackson State University in Jackson, Mississippi, 
where he received national acclaim as a running back and was chosen 
fourth by the Chicago Bears in the 1975 draft.
  He then went on to play 13 seasons in the NFL, winning a Super Bowl 
and setting the all-time record for most yards at 16,726.
  He was inducted into the college football Hall of Fame in 1996 and to 
the professional football Hall of Fame in 1993. He was truly a hero and 
role model for all of us in Mississippi who had the privilege of 
watching him play the game he loved so much.
  My condolences go out to his wife, Connie, and to his children, 
Brittany and Jarrett.
  Walter Payton will always be remembered for his style, class, and 
outstanding reputation on and off the football field. He was a great 
ambassador for our home State of Mississippi, and he will be missed by 
all Mississippians. He may not have been the biggest or the fastest, 
but it was clear he had the largest heart both on and off the field.
  To Walter Payton we simply say, thank you.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to yield 3 minutes to 
another distinguished gentleman from Mississippi's Fourth Congressional 
District (Mr. Shows).
  Mr. SHOWS. Mr. Speaker, today I would like to take the opportunity 
and a minute to tell my colleagues and the American people of my 
thoughts on Walter Payton. Walter's death was untimely, and it is 
important that we pause to remember this remarkable Mississippian and 
American.
  Walter spent his life giving all he had to his profession, the sport 
of football. And through his remarkable gift of talent and ability, he 
gave all, what we call a real American hero.
  Walter was a role model of fairness and honesty. With open hands, he 
often reached down to the opponent he had just out-maneuvered to help 
him off the turf. With a sweet voice, he always offered praise and 
encouragement to others in football. And with courage under fire, he 
never showed a quitter's attitude, right up to the end.
  Walter was an American hero. I can honestly say that Walter Payton 
was a mentor for a lot of young people across our Nation. He was from 
my congressional district in Columbia, Mississippi, but about 20 
minutes from my home.
  I can remember when Walter was playing high school football, we heard 
about this young man that played at Columbia High School who was so 
fast he could go across the line and turn around backwards and look at 
his opponents backwards chasing him.
  Many of us followed his remarkable career from when he packed out the 
high school stadiums in my district. He was a streak of lightning down 
the football field then, as he was years later in the NFL.
  Walter humbly rose to star status in our Nation and never let the 
attention change him. He was always Walter. He touched the lives of 
everyone, white and black, young and old.
  The Bible teaches us about giving and caring, honesty and integrity. 
I think Walter must have listened well to the preachers in the churches 
that he attended as a child and throughout his life. Walter embodied 
those values that make us great and that we all need to value 
ourselves.
  Walter Payton was good for football, he was good for our youth, and 
he is good for America. I am indebted to Walter Payton for his example. 
We are all indebted to him for his gift and life.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished 
gentleman from Chicago, Illinois (Mr. Davis).
  Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from 
Maryland (Mr. Cummings) for yielding me the time.
  I also want to thank the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Pickering) 
for introducing this resolution. I am pleased to join with the millions 
of others throughout America and the world who have been inspired, 
motivated, and stimulated by the life and the legacy of Walter Payton.
  Yes, Walter was indeed a great athlete and thrilled millions weekly 
as he glided, weaved, bobbed, and zipped up and down football fields, 
chewing up yardage, scoring touchdowns, and helping to win 
championships.
  But Walter Payton was much more than a gifted athlete. He was a 
gentleman, a good son, a good husband, a good father, a good citizen, 
and yes, indeed, a role model.
  He attended a small school, one of the historically black colleges 
and universities, Jackson State, in the Southwest Conference, the same 
conference that I had the opportunity to participate with and in when I 
attended one of the same small colleges and universities.
  Walter proved that it is not always a matter of where we come from as 
much as it is sometimes a matter of where we are going. He demonstrated 
to all of us that there can be inspiration in death just as there is 
inspiration in life. He helped to raise the issue of organ donation and 
transplantation, even though at the latter part of his life he knew 
that he would not be able to use one even if it was available.
  I want to commend the city of Chicago, my city, for the outstanding 
tribute that it paid to Walter Payton when thousands of people filled 
up Soldier Field. Yes, Walter was the best on and off the field. So, on 
behalf of the people in the Seventh District of Illinois, we celebrate 
his life and offer condolences to his family and say that all of us are 
a little bit better because Walter Payton lived.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time to close.
  Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I am urging all of our colleagues to support this very, 
very appropriate resolution. I want to thank the gentleman from 
Mississippi (Mr. Pickering) for sponsoring it and all the cosponsors 
and for all of those who have spoken today.
  When one looks back at the life of Walter Payton, I can only help but 
think about a song that says, ``The times we shared will always be. The 
times we shared will always be.''
  I think Walter Payton brought so much to our lives. One great writer 
said, he brought life to life. And there is absolutely no question 
about that. And so, we take a moment today to not be here because he 
died, but we take a moment to salute him because he lived. He took his 
God-given talent; and he made the very, very best of them.
  And so, to his wife, Connie, and to his children, Brittany and 
Jarrett and to his relatives, we say to them, thank you very much for 
sharing Walter Payton with us. He lifted our lives; and, on and off the 
field, he made our lives better. He, indeed, brought life to life.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of the time.
  Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 370 provides a fitting memorial to the 
career and life of Walter Payton. We remember him as an intense 
competitor on the field and a superb human being and citizen. He 
dedicated himself fully to his chosen work, and he set an example of 
humor and grace that we can all admire.
  I am proud to speak in his memory, and I join my colleagues in urging 
swift passage of this resolution honoring a man whose generous life 
among us was far too brief.
  I want to thank again the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Pickering) 
for introducing this resolution and all the gentlemen from Mississippi 
and the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Cummings) who have spoken so 
eloquently about the life of Walter Payton.
  Mr. PORTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of House Resolution 
370, and to celebrate the profound impact of the life of Walter Payton.
  This man, who struck fear into the hearts of opposing NFL defenses 
for 13 years, inspires our hearts today. As unstoppable and resilient 
as Walter Payton was on the football field, he was caring, as confident 
as he was uplifting--this irresistible force was also an immovable 
object of a good man.
  Walter Payton exploded into Chicago in 1975. The Bears, having been 
spoiled by some of the greatest running backs of all time, from Red 
Grange, to Bronko Nagurski, to Gale

[[Page H12043]]

Sayers, were looking for a savior for their backfield. Walter's 66 
touchdowns, whopping 6.1 yards per carry, and NCAA scoring record 
seemed an answer to the Monsters of the Midway's prayer. Chicago chose 
him with its number one pick. Said Walter's first Bears position coach, 
Fred O'Connor, upon seeing his new prodigy, ``God must have taken a 
chisel and said, `I'm going to make me a halfback.' ''
  For the next 13 years Walter ran roughshod over the best athletes in 
the world. No one has more yards rushing, more rushing attempts, more 
rushing yards in a game, more 100-yard games, or more all-purpose yards 
than Walter Payton. He won two MVP awards, led the best football team 
of all time to victory in Super Bowl XX, and only missed one game in 13 
years (a game he insisted he could have played in). Walter made a 
career out of fighting for the extra yard, never taking the easy run 
out of bounds, blocking for his teammates, playing through injuries, 
and leaping into the endzone. He was Sweetness, yet was tougher than 
Dick Butkus and Mike Ditka. He was also one of the classiest athletes 
in the history of the NFL--politely handing the ball to officials after 
scoring, and helping opposing players to their feet after knocking them 
flat. Ditka, his coach and friend, dubbed him ``the greatest Bear of 
all,'' and the best football player he'd ever seen.
  But for all his successes on the field, Walter was better off it. He 
was a restaurant owner, an entrepreneur, an investor in forest land and 
nursing homes, a professional and amateur race-car driver, a television 
commentator, a motivational speaker, a philanthropist, a father, a 
husband, and a friend.
  While Walter attained amazing financial success in his sporting, 
business, and speaking pursuits, he turned around and gave back to 
those who could not fend for themselves. He founded the Walter Payton 
Foundation to provide financial and motivational support to youth--
the foundation continues to fund and support children's educational 
programs, and to assist abused and neglected children. When faced with 
fatal liver disease, he turned his illness into a positive force by 
raising awareness of the need for organ donors. He also helped found 
and support the Alliance for the Children, which serves the very 
neediest--the wards of the State of Illinois. In 1998 alone, Walter's 
foundations provided Christmas gifts for over 35,000 children, helped 
over 9,000 churches, schools and social services agencies raised by 
funds by donating autographed sports memorabilia, established college 
scholarship funds for wards of the State of Illinois, and established a 
job training program for children 18 to 21 ``graduating'' from the 
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services system.

  Walter is survived by his wife Connie, his children Brittany and 
Jarrett, his mother Alyne, his brother Eddie, his sister Pam, his loyal 
teammates, his respectful opponents, his legions of loving fans, and 
the millions he touched, helped and inspired in some way. He spent the 
final 9 months of his life, from the day he bravely announced his 
disease in February, surrounded by these friends and family members. He 
knew he was loved in the twilight of his life, and we can feel that 
love for him now that he's passed on. We should all be so blessed.
  Walter once, said, ``people see what they want to see [in me]. They 
look at me and say, `He's a black man. He's a football player. He's a 
running back. He a Chicago Bear,' But I'm more than all that. I'm a 
father, I'm a husband. I'm a citizen. I'm a person willing to give his 
all. That's how I want to be remembered.''
  That's how we'll remember you, Walter, and thank you.
  Mr. WICKER. Mr. Speaker, earlier this month our Nation lost a man who 
earned a lasting place in the hearts of all Americans through his 
efforts on the football field and in his community. This man, who was 
affectionately known as ``Sweetness,'' distinguished himself as a 
father, a citizen, and an American sports icon. Walter Payton's road to 
success started in Columbia, Mississippi, and wound through the 
collegiate ranks at Jackson State University and the rough and tumble 
world of the National Football League. After his playing days, he 
devoted his time and energy to improving the lives of others.
  It is difficult to turn on a television or radio these days and not 
hear of another instance where a professional athlete has taken a wrong 
turn or made a bad decision which disappoints legions of fans. They 
have made commercials to proclaim that they are not role models. Walter 
never did. They have shied away from placement on a pedestal which 
would hold them to a higher standard. Walter embraced it. They have 
failed to realize their influence on children who cheer for them each 
time they suit up. Walter understood it. They forgot the communities 
they once called home. Walter never did.
  So the next time your kids hear about the latest professional 
athlete's brush with the law, tell them about Walter Payton. After all, 
what parent wouldn't want their child to grow up to be like number 34. 
He was a role model in his public life and as a professional athlete 
and more importantly in his life off the field as a husband, father, 
and community leader. Walter, thanks for the memories.
  Mr. LIPINSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a great football 
player and person, Walter Payton. As his old Chicago Bears coach, Iron 
Mike Ditka, said the day of his passing, some might have been better 
runners, some might have been better receivers, some might have been 
bigger or faster, but no one was a better football player than Walter 
Payton.
  Most everyone knows that Sweetness holds the NFL record for rushing 
yards, total yards, combined yards, and most rushing yards in a game, 
275. But what made Payton a great football player was his total 
package--the blocking, the running, the receiving, and the durability--
he only missed one game his entire career, during his rookie season 
when the coaches held him out despite Payton's insistence on playing 
through an injury. He was also the Bears emergency kicker, punter, and 
quarterback--he once played quarterback in 1984 when all of the Bears 
quarterbacks were injured.
  While many people throughout the nation remember Payton along with 
the dominant 1985 ``Super Bowl Shuffle'' team, true Chicagoans remember 
the high-kicking Payton in the Bears' lean years, when he carried the 
team on his shoulders. Walter was a source of pride for Chicagoans in 
the late 70's and early 80's, and the city identified with the hard-
working, lunch-pail attitude that Payton brought to the field.
  Walter was a role model on and off the field. He owned many 
businesses and started a charitable organization, the Walter Payton 
Foundation. Payton quietly helped collect toys and clothes for children 
who spent the holidays away from their own families, usually because of 
abuse or other mistreatment. For some children, the toys were the only 
gifts they got.
  Walter was also a religious man. His former teammate, Mike 
Singletary, said that Walter found an inner peace the day of his death 
when the two read scripture together.
  Mr. Speaker, it came as a surprise when Walter was diagnosed with his 
rare liver disease. Still, those who followed Walter's career on and 
off the field believed that he would overcome the disease just as he 
had overcome many opponents on the field and in the boardroom. So the 
big shock came with news of his death. The nation grieved the loss of a 
sports hero, but Chicago mourned the loss of an icon who touched many.
  When Payton was once asked how he wanted to be remembered, he 
replied, ``I want people to say, `Wherever he was, he was always giving 
it his all.' '' Mr. Speaker, I have no doubt that up in heaven, Walter 
Payton is giving it his all.
  Mrs. BIGGERT. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shimkus). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentlewoman from Illinois (Mrs. Biggert) that the House 
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, House Resolution 370.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor 
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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