The late Walter Payton, whom many regard as the best running back in league history, is the subject of a new biography by Jeff Pearlman. And Pearlman claims in the book that, after retiring from pro football, Payton abused drugs.
Specifically, Payton allegedly took Tylenol and Vicodin, kept nitrous oxide in his garage, and obtained Ritalin from a friend. The book also claims that Payton attracted suspicion from pharmacists and police when trying to have a dentist’s prescription for morphine filled.
Pearlman quotes Payton’s agent, Bud Holmes, as as saying that “Walter was pounding his body with medication.”
The book, titled Sweetness: The Enigmatic Life of Walter Payton, will be released on October 4. An excerpt appears in this week’s issue of Sports Illustrated.