Pearl Jam Eddie Vedder Tells Story About Meeting Walter Payton As A Kid

here's a here's a Chicago story for you um 12 years old I was I was was a little little guy and um we had moved to California but every other summer we would drive to Chicago and see our relatives and Grand everybody lived here and my uncle John the the guy who first took me to Wrigley Field he he surprises me one day and he says we're this is 1977 no 78 and and he doesn't tell me where we're going and and we go to Lake Forest and and then there's this chain link fence and behind this simple little chain link fence is like this big field and on the field are the Chicago Bears and not only the Chicago Bears but the Chicago Bears with Walter N/A Payton so the training some R one is sweetness [Applause] so they give us this little program thing this little piece of paper cardboard and um and I asked my uncle could I leave it in the car so it didn't nothing happened to it and then and then we go and and and it's unbelievable like it's right there this guy who's this huge hero and and it's just to see something like that when you're that young was very positive and and um just unbelievable and then and then at the end a few guys started walking out through this little gate and then and then they were signing things so I ran I told my Uncle I'm running to the car to get that thing to sign so I race down this gravel it was like chain link fence bushes I run down this gravel and it's white gravel small PE gravel and I open the car door I grab the thing grab the pen run back and as I'm running back back I get my uncle told me that Walter just kind of he just kind of cruised through everybody the little pack of kids and then turned the corner and then started running up this this walkway so I'm standing there by myself 12 years old down this little walkway and all a sudden I look up and there's waler [Applause] Payton helmet pads 34 and cleat and the white tape and all that and his cleats are crunching on the the gravel just like and I can't believe this is happening and he walks towards me and and um oh what was the he's like hey little man I said hello sir and he said uh you you look like a little Surfer Dude yes sir we we we used to live in Chicago then we moved to California we're just visiting do you want me to sign that for oh and he's walking so he's still walking and now I'm I'm walking backwards as he's walking this hero almost like do Hercules and I said yes please he says he says what's your name I said Eddie he says that's my brother's name I said I [Laughter] know he handed to me he said you take care of yourself kid be careful in those big waves and if you could see the big wave here tonight but you know what's funny some of those times in the Metro or whatever jumping off some of that crazy um I used to hear walder's voice like be careful little man um so I've been wearing this jersey is our 34th year of playing together it felt good from the day one I've been wearing it every show but then tonight I have the special special occasion to introduce a new friend of mine that I just met today I've always wanted to meet him welcome to the stage to say hello to you all Wrigley Field Welter son Jared Jared pton good hey big man hey key would you turn the lights up so we can take a picture let take a picture of all of us Hy to jar wer thanks for sharing your dad with all of us we love you CH P everybody all this one's for number 34 all right