This book was written in part to dispel many inaccuracies that have been written about my brother, Walter. It’s not out of anger or offense, but simply to set the record straight. I also wrote this book because I have a story to tell, as well. Once I decided to write this book, I was all in. I have many to thank for their help along the way, enabling me to write a story with which I’m intimately familiar: Walter & Me.
I’m so blessed to have a loving and supporting mother who taught me the basics of how to be a good person.
Thanks to coach Charles Boston for teaching me the fundamentals of the game of football that I love so much.
A special thanks to coach Bob Hill for believing in me, for giving me a stage to perform on, and for surrounding me with great teammates.
Thanks so much to my wife, Rica, and to my children—Edward, Erica, Terry, and Bridgett—for their love and support. And to my sister, Pam, for her love and support.
I’d like to also thank the Jackson State University fans and family for their support and enthusiasm, which encouraged me to graduate and pushed me to another level.
I’m especially grateful to my coauthor, Paul Brown, for his friendship, steely resolve, and commitment to this book. Without his perseverance, this book wouldn’t have happened. And I give a special thanks to literary agent Craig Wiley of the Craig Wiley Agency, for his professionalism in pulling us all together and for his role in the writing.
My gratitude to Bud Holmes can’t be overstated. His unwavering support of my family and me over the years has been priceless.
And I’d like to give special credit to the Triumph Books team for giving this book top priority.
—Eddie Payton
It’s been a true pleasure working with Eddie Payton on this book. Thanks to Eddie for his candor in answering countless questions, often awfully sensitive and sometimes just plain dumb.
Thanks to my editor, Adam Motin, and the amazing team at Triumph Books. Adam was a pleasure to work with from the opening kickoff.
A special thanks to Alyne Payton, Bud Holmes, Charles Boston, Gale Sayers, Matt Suhey, and Mike Ditka for their patience and insight during their interviews. And many thanks to Coach Ditka for writing the foreword.
I’m grateful to Angie Chitty, Janet Watkins, Jessica Brown, Ken Anderson, and Terry Brown for their assistance, feedback, and help in transcribing tapes.
I’d like to give special credit to my agent and friend, Craig Wiley, of the Craig Wiley Agency. We found a home for Walter & Me at a great publisher because of him. Craig’s contribution to the writing was invaluable. We continue to work as a team, and I look forward to working with him for years to come.
—Paul Brown
First and foremost, I’d like to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, from whom all book opportunities and other blessings flow. I’d also like to thank my talented wife, Darcy, for her editorial help and creative advice. My kids should also be thanked for putting up with a little less daddy time while Eddie, Paul, and I were dealing with crunch time.
I’d like to thank Tom Bast for seeing promise in the idea when I first pitched it as an agent, and also Mitch Rogatz for ultimately buying into it. Adam Motin deserves a special thank-you for balancing schedules, listening to ideas, and dealing with everything else that is a part of managing a book project.
Thanks goes to Eddie Payton for allowing me the honor of playing a part in the telling of his and Walter’s story, and also Paul Brown, my longtime client and friend, for being so good at connecting with people like Eddie who have such interesting stories to tell. Paul should also be thanked for doing all the hard work of interviewing, researching, and piecing this project together. He is a very talented man.
Finally, I’d like to thank you, the reader, for picking up the finished product and taking time to read it, whether on paper or on screen. Without you, books, and all they bring to the world through their pages, would not be possible. And if you have a project of your own, I’d love to know about it. Feel free to get in touch with me through the Craig Wiley Agency.
—Craig Wiley