Walter Payton Quotes & Sayings

If you ask me how I want to be remembered, it is as a winner. You know what a winner is? A winner is somebody who has given his best effort, who has tried the hardest they possibly can, who has utilized every ounce of energy and strength within them to accomplish something. It doesn't mean that they accomplished it or failed, it means that they've given it their best. That's a winner. — Walter Payton

Do anything that might make the
world a better place for someone — Walter Payton

Money isn't everything. Do you get married because of money? Do you have kids because of money? — Walter Payton

There were high school coaches such as Charles Boston that took me under his wing and taught me the fundamentals of football. And when I went to college there was Robert Hill who took me there and he showed me what hard work and determination would do if you put forth the effort and you take a little time. — Walter Payton

I try to run on the hottest days, at the hottest time, because that's the most difficult time. And sometimes I worry about drying out, and dying. — Walter Payton

If you forget your roots, you've lost sight of everything — Walter Payton

I developed my training routine going into my senior year at Jackson State. I found this sandbank by the Pearl River near my hometown, Columbia, Miss. I laid out a course of 65 yards or so. Sixty-five yards on sand is like 120 on turf, but running on sand helps you make your cuts at full speed. — Walter Payton

When you're good at something, you'll tell everyone. When you're great at something, they'll tell you. — Walter Payton

You look at a Pete Rose to be the terrific athlete he is and then he falls on hard times, but when he played the game, I got something from the way he played the game because he hustled every play, and just because he had one mistake in his life, am I supposed to throw back everything that I gained from him? — Walter Payton

I want to be remembered as the guy who gave his all whenever he was on the field. — Walter Payton

A lot of fans were drawn to me because they knew that whatever the score was, I was going to run as hard as I could on every play. You don't have that now, you have guys waiting for next week or even next year. — Walter Payton

I am happy to say that everyone that I have met in my life, I have gained something from them; be it negative or positive, it has enforced and reinforced my life in some aspect. — Walter Payton

If you could go back and change things, you might not be the person you are right now. — Walter Payton

Running alone is the toughest. You get to the point where you have to keep pushing yourself. — Walter Payton

Remember, tomorrow is promised to no one. — Walter Payton

Tough times go away, tough people do not. — Walter Payton

I wanted to be a professional drummer. — Walter Payton

I want to be remembered like Pete Rose. 'Charlie Hustle.' I want people to say, 'Wherever he was, he was always giving it his all.' — Walter Payton

If I'm going to get hit, why let the guy who's going to hit me get the easiest and best shot? I explode into the guy who's trying to tackle me. — Walter Payton

Never die easy. Why run out of bounds and die easy? Make that linebacker pay. It carries into all facets of your life. It's okay to lose, to die, but don't die without trying, without giving it your best. — Walter Payton

I don't have to jump up and smile just because TV wants me to. — Walter Payton

We are stronger together than we are alone. — Walter Payton

During the off-season when you see other people playing in the Super Bowl, you wonder, and you say to yourself, 'Are you ever gonna get there and see what it feels like?' And it pushes you a little bit harder during that off-season to work to try to get there the following year. — Walter Payton

When you speak of role models, when we talk to our kids, everybody is a role model, everyone, just as you look at a Michael Jordan to be the terrific athlete he is. — Walter Payton

Most important thought, if you love someone, tell him or her, for you never know what tomorrow may have in store. — Walter Payton

Work hard or don't work at all. — Walter Payton

All people, regardless of whether they're athletes or not, should treat people the way they want to be treated. — Walter Payton

God's been very good to me. I'm truly blessed. — Walter Payton

Children have always brought a tremendous amount of joy to me and I feel that if you can catch them at a young age you can really change a life. There are a lot of studies that show that one act of kindness to these children has a 40% chance of making that child have a completely different outcome in their life. What you hope is that you can get a kid to believe in something and to believe in themselves. — Walter Payton