Chicago Area Local News

CHICAGO (CBS) ― Should one of the greatest players in Chicago Bears history have a statue outside Soldier Field? Walter Payton's family thinks so, but would honoring Walter dishonor war veterans? CBS 2's Derrick Blakely spoke with Payton's widow.

Michael Jordan and Ernie Banks are among the Chicago sports legends who have been honored with statues, and now, the family of Walter Payton wants to put a statue of the late, legendary Chicago Bear outside Soldier Field. But the Chicago Park District has told Payton's family that Soldier Field and the area around it is to be preserved as a memorial to war veterans.

Connie Payton-Strotter, Walter's widow was asked where she would most like to see a statue of her late husband. "Somewhere in and around the Soldier Field area, I think," Payton-Strotter said.

Connie Payton-Strotter said she treasures her touchstones of Walter Payton's incredible career; paintings and jerseys, even Walters' personalized billiard balls. Now, she wants to share something of him with the city: a life-sized statue.

Payton died of liver cancer nearly 10 years ago, and his family has been in talks with the Chicago Park District about erecting the statue. But the Park District doesn't want the statue outside the stadium.

"We knew because it was a free donation, and it's something that the city could be proud of, that it would be accepted. But never thinking that putting it around Soldier Field or somewhere on that property would be a problem," Payton-Strotter said.

But it might be. Soldier Field is dedicated to the nation's war dead. There's a monument to "Papa Bear" George Halas and other Bears greats inside the stadium, but outside there is nothing related to the team or players.

"We probably should have had a place where we were going to put it, but of course, when you think about a staute, a statue of Walter, the first place you think of is Soldier Field," Payton-Strotter said.

That's a notion Bears lineman Alex Brown endorsed Wednesday.

"I think it would be really cool, like seeing Michael Jordan's statue outside the United Center," Brown said.

At Jordan's statue, where fans were mimicking Jordan in flight – wagging tongue and all -- there was no objection.

Sports fan Walter Berryhill said, Payton is "a legend in Chicago, so I think it would be appropriate for us to have it there (outside Soldier Field)."

The Payton family was not told no to their request to have a statue of Walter Payton placed at Soldier Field. The Park District has offered to put the statue in any other park and a park district spokesman said, "We are happy to meet with the Payton family on this issue."

"For our family to proudly donate this to our city, it would just be an honor," Payton-Strotter said.

She was hoping to meet with Park Distrcit Superintendent Tim Mitchell within ten days or so.

The statue the Payton family has commissioned will portray Walter's famous high-stepping touchdown pose. They'd like to unveil it Nov. 7, the same day a fundraiser is scheduled for the Walter Payton Liver Center.

Some Bears fans argued in favor of honoring Payton at Soldier Field.

"We wouldn't have won a Super Bowl in any of our lifetimes without Walter Payton, so his statue had better be in front of Soldier Field," said Bears fan Jason Steinlauf.

But others said the sanctity of Soldier Field as a memorial to veterans should not be disturbed.

"Soldier Field was built as a memorial for American soldiers who died in war and should remain that way," a viewer told CBS 2's Ed Curran on Facebook.

Payton was drafted by the Bears in 1975, and played through the 1987 season. He was the all-time leader in running and combined net yards from 1984 until his record was broken in 2002. In his career with the Bears, he rushed16,726 yards and scored 110 touchdowns.

The statue by sculptor Stan Watts will be life-size and slightly over 6 feet tall.

As it is, there is a huge granite sculpture at Soldier Field showing the timeline of George Halas' contribution to football and Bears history. It is located in the Bears Den.

(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

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