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Walter Payton – Developing Talent to the Fullest
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I live in a western suburb of Chicago and have lived here for the last 15 years. If you know anything about Chicago, you know that it is a sports town. The people here live for their sports teams, especially the Cubs and the Bears.
Sunday’s Tribute to Walter Payton
One of the most beloved Bears of all time was Walter Payton. At half time at the Bears’ game on Sunday there was a tribute to Walter.
What was strange about the tribute? Most times tributes are held on anniversaries of a spectacular event in an athlete’s life. For Babe Ruth it may have been the anniversary of the day he hit his 60th Home Run. For Michael Jordan, it may be on the anniversary of the day when he returned to basketball following his short-lived baseball career or of the day he helped the Chicago Bulls win one of their NBA championships. Yesterday’s tribute to Walter Payton occurred on the tenth anniversary of his death at the far too young age of 45. Not that many people are remembered on an anniversary of the day the death. However, Walter was a very special person.
What Endeared Walter to the Fans?
Walter has been considered by many to be the greatest running back in the history of Pro Football. He played the game with pure abandon. Not only was he a great running back, he was a great pass receiver and a skilled blocker.
Raw Talent Honed to Greatness
Like each of us Walter had a certain talent. His was his ability to outrun and outmaneuver the defenses on opposing teams. When he couldn’t outmaneuver a defender, he frequently ran right through them.
Like so many other gifted athletes, Walter worked on developing his talents all through his pro football career. He had a rigorous and grueling work ethic. He alone realized where hew gifted. He developed his skills for use on the football field through the hard work he did in practice off the field. What everyone thought came easy to him was actually the result of the hard and difficult training regimen he put himself and his body through.
Why did Walter do it? The answer is simple – He loved the game and he loved to play football. That was his passion and he developed his talent as fully as he could to excel in what he was passionate about.
We All Have the Same Opportunity
Each one of us has a certain talent or talents. It is our job to identify what they are and to develop those fully. The ideal is for each of us to find out what we are really passionate. Then we can develop our talents to the point that we can excel in those areas where we are truly passionate. Others may look at what we do as being very difficult. They may feel that it’s not worth the effort. However, we view it differently. We alone know that we are doing it because we love too.
Live the coming week with gusto and abandon.
Bob Paroski
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