Q&A with Ditka: Smith is worthy heir to Payton's record

Super Bowl winning coach Mike Ditka is the closest thing to a living testament in the NFL for the late, great Walter Payton. The NFL's all-time leading rusher died a few years ago after succumbing to a valiant fight with cancer and a liver disorder.

It will be Walter Payton's turn to look down on greatness.(Getty Images)

Though "Sweetness" is no longer with us physically, his memory and blazing moves will no doubt be relived with every one of Smith's steps Sunday. Dallas running back Emmitt Smith is just 93 yards shy of breaking the mark currently held by the great Bears back.

Would Walter have approved of the heir apparent? If not Smith, who would Payton have liked to run past him? What would he have said to Smith had cancer not taken him away?

SportsLine.com sat with Ditka, who also forged a Hall of Fame playing career at tight end with the Cowboys, to uncover what he believes would have been Payton's take on the inevitable passing of the torch.

Did he care about losing the record? Did he care who the new leader would be? Did he care if it was Emmitt?

In a unique look at the greatest running back of all time, we are able to gather some of Payton's perspective on the record, as told by Ditka, his long-time coach and friend.

Glazer: If there was one guy Walter could have picked to break the record, a Barry Sanders, Marshall Faulk, Emmitt Smith, who would he have picked?

Ditka: "I believe in the bottom of my heart if Walter had to hand pick one guy, he would pick Emmitt. Of all the people in the league he could choose from, Walter would be looking down and saying, 'This is the guy; this is the guy who should break the record.'"

Glazer: What do you believe Walter's reaction will be Sunday as he watches Smith dive for that extra yard?

Ditka: "I think a tear will come to his eye. I think if he could somehow work it out, he'd like to be down here handing Emmitt the ball. This guy No. 22 is a special guy, and Walter believed that about him. Dallas is better for having an Emmitt Smith just like the city of Chicago is lucky for Walter."

Poll Who is the NFL's greatest running back of all time?   20%  Jim Brown     4%  Gale Sayers     13%  Emmitt Smith     30%  Barry Sanders     33%  Walter Payton     Total Votes: 55630

Glazer: Would Walter have preferred a Barry Sanders, or somebody as electric as he was, to break it -- rather than someone who thrives on longevity and durability?

Ditka: "I didn't think it would be Barry, not that he wouldn't have broken the record, but he made a choice to stop playing. I disagree with his choice, but that's his prerogative. He wanted to get out of football. That's where he says to me, 'I don't love football with my heart and soul.' Emmitt and Walter loved this game with their heart and soul. This is not a slight on Barry, but it just didn't seem to be very important to him."

Glazer: What is it about Emmitt that you believe helped gain such a high level of respect from Walter?

Ditka: "I think that Emmitt and Walter are very similar in not only how they played the game, but how they handled things off the field. They are both very giving people. I don't think Emmitt or Walter had a selfish bone in them. I thought about it a lot. They are so similar in the way they handle things -- the public, the fans, their willingness to help out with charities. I think that's a part of giving back to the game and they both understand this better than most. They both gave so much to the game, which is immeasurable in Walter's eyes."

Mike Ditka says Walter Payton's humility made him the ideal person to handle the attention of being the all-time rushing leader.(Getty Images)

Glazer: Despite the fact Smith is geared to break the record, is he a better running back than Walter, or Barry or a Gale Sayers? Jim Brown?

Ditka: "The true value of the record is the longevity. You have to survive over a period of time without being injured. You have to be able to stay healthy. I think it's a tribute to both Walter's and Emmitt's conditioning and commitment. That's the true underlying theme of this record, not so much rushing style. You have to be a special player, but there also has to be another element. The element of protecting against injury like Sayers had.

"As far as talent goes, I put Walter Payton in a class of the greatest player who I have ever seen in my life ... and I've seen a lot of men come and go in my years. Not only was he an incredible talent with the ball, but he was also the best blocking tailback who ever played. He and Marcus Allen were both a cut above in that category. They didn't have to go out and become awesome blockers, but they both realized it can help the team and they excelled at it. It's those little things that make guys like Walter, Emmitt, Marcus the greatest."

Glazer: If there is one connection Walter would have appreciated the most about him and Emmitt, what would it be?

Ditka: "The fact that they played their whole careers with their respective first-and-only teams. That's a tribute to their greatness. There are certain people who transcend the point of tradability. Those people are extremely rare. You saw Joe Montana, Joe Namath traded and even Jerry Rice was given his walking papers. I'm old school, and I believe in loyalty, and if someone takes them to the top, you ought to give them those last couple of years and see what they can do rather than purge them because of the salary cap. That is what both Emmitt and Walter were rewarded with from their football families. This alone makes them different from the majority of NFL players."

Glazer: What do you remember about the game when Walter moved past Jim Brown into first place on the all-time list?

Ditka: "I can't speak for Walter on this one, I really felt he was very intent on winning the game. If the record came, then it came. For the moment, for the lifetime, and duration of his career, then the record would have been the most important thing. But that particular day, the only thing he truly cared about was winning the game.

"When everybody congratulated him that day, I don't think people understood there was a tremendous amount of humility there from Walter. He was so thankful to his teammates, his line and all the years they blocked for him and they didn't win. That's what I remember most about it -- the incredible humility he showed. He couldn't help it, that's how he is.

"Walter thinks his life was about more than this record. You are remembered for certain things in this life. I hope they remember both these guys for more than breaking a record. Their contributions are too numerous to say it's about football."

Glazer: Do you believe Payton will be present at Texas Stadium this weekend in case his crown needs to be passed to Smith?

Ditka: "I believe there is some type of life after death. Walter led his life with a lot of dignity; somehow he's going to know this is going on. If we all believe there is a God, then you'll believe that he'll be watching down upon us with a tear in his eye and a smile on his face. I believe there is a God, so I know that at least for one day I can have another football moment with my guy one more time. He'll be there."