Article on Jarret Payton

[MurcieOne]

From ChicagoBears.com

 

Payton hopes to forge own identity

By Larry Mayer

Senior Writer

February 23, 2004

INDIANAPOLIS - Fiercely proud of his father and his last name, Jarrett Payton nonetheless is determined to forge his own identity.

 

A running back from the University of Miami, the son of the late, great Walter Payton is among 330 or so of the nation's top pro prospects trying to improve their draft stock at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

 

"The reason I am hungry is because of that question everybody asks me all the time-trying to compare me to my Pops," said Jarrett, who rushed for 985 yards and 7 TDs on 182 carries as a fifth-year senior with the Hurricanes.

 

"They always compare, (but) I want to separate and do my own thing. Being my own individual person is my drive, and now I am starting to see that. Playing in the big games (at Miami) and doing well, I am pulling away a little bit.

 

"I always wanted to be there because that was my dad and he was special to me. But I get excited when people congratulate me on what I have done. That is what drives me every day to do what I can do."

 

During interviews at the combine, Payton tried to convince NFL teams that following in his father's footsteps isn't his prime motivation for pursuing a pro football career.

 

"I always get this feeling that people feel like I am playing the game just because my dad played," Jarrett said.

 

"I put myself out there as being a well-rounded guy that can help a team out. I am also a leader. I was born that way; that is all I was ever known to do.

 

"I feel like I can help out, but also that I am a hard worker. I'm trying to be my own person and not just play the game because of my last name and who my dad is."

 

Perhaps one of the reasons that Payton feels compelled to convince others that he's serious about football is that he didn't play the sport until his junior season at St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights, Ill. Until then he was a star on the school's highly-ranked soccer team and even traveled to Europe to compete in tournaments.

 

The watershed moment of Jarrett's football career came when he decided to continue playing following his father's death. Walter Payton, who retired as the NFL's all-time leading rusher with 16,726 yards after 13 illustrious seasons with the Bears, died of liver disease on Nov. 1, 1999 at the age of 45.

 

"I think it all started when my dad passed away," Jarrett said. "That was when the big decision was if I still wanted to play. It wasn't the fact I wanted to play just for him. He was a big factor in my process of getting better. He helped me out a lot.

 

"I didn't feel I had a teacher anymore. (But) once I got into college (I) started to understand and started to see I could (learn) from other people, especially coaches.

 

"My (running backs) coach, Don Soldinger, was big in my process of being a better player. Once I got a relationship with him he became like another dad to me. He pushed me just like my dad would and I just felt, 'Hey, I can do this.'"

 

At his first three seasons at Miami, Payton rushed for just 511 yards and 3 TDs on 117 carries as a reserve behind star running backs Clinton Portis and Willis McGahee.

 

Finally earning a starting job last season after Frank Gore was injured, Payton registered three 100-yard games including a 131-yard performance in Miami's 16-14 win over Florida State in the Orange Bowl.

 

Most pundits predict that Payton won't be drafted until the sixth or seventh round if at all. The 6-foot, 224-pounder isn't projected to be an elite running back and probably will have to excel on special teams to make a final roster.

 

The prospect of Jarrett joining the Bears is a delicious one for the team's fans who continue to worship his father. But the situation would be a difficult one for both the youngster and the club. Just imagine headlines in August that read: "Bears cut Payton."

 

"I would love to be in Chicago," Jarrett said. "That would be unbelievable pressure. There is going to be pressure anywhere you go-maybe a little bit more added pressure, yeah, but that's life, man.

 

"I have been through so much already in my life being 23 years old. What else can you throw at me to be under more pressure than the things I have been through? I would love the opportunity if it came up."

 

Bears general manager Jerry Angelo conceded that acquiring Payton would be a unique situation that would have to be discussed. But ultimately the Bears would not shy away from him simply because he's the son of arguably the greatest player in franchise history.

 

"I would think it would be something we'd want to talk about it and then make that determination," Angelo said. "But if we felt like he could make our football team and he could help us win, we're not looking at the name, we're looking at the player.

 

"We have the utmost respect for him as a football player. We'll just have to wait and see how he is evaluated amongst his peers at his position."

[WillieHarris2]

its gotta be hard for him to be his own person with everyone talking about his father all the time. he probably also has more expectations then most people because of his last name.