Golfer Dave Tilley often plays at Nickol Knoll Golf Club in Arlington Heights, but in his mind, he's teeing off on Payton's Hill.Tilley says that in his heart, and in the hearts of many village residents, the golf course is best known as the place where Walter Payton trained.
"I've always known my whole life that it's Payton's Hill," said Tilley, a former Arlington Heights resident who now lives in Round Lake Beach. "Everyone in my family knows it. We've always thought it should be renamed."
After Payton's untimely death Monday from a rare liver disease and bile duct cancer, Tilley decided to take immediate action.
He reserved the domain www.paytonshill.com, which will function as a sounding board for Payton fans, Bears fans or Chicago-area residents interested in changing Nickol Knoll to Payton's Hill - or some other Payton-inspired honor.
"We could find a way for people to make suggestions on the Web site for new names," Tilley explained. "Payton's Hill, Walter Payton Park ... or whatever."
The former Bears running back, as an Arlington Heights resident of about seven years, would run up and down the hill as part of his training regimen.
Nickol Knoll was named for the Nickol family, who owned the land from the 1870's until the 1930's. The hill was sold during the Great Depression and the dirt was hauled to O'Hare for use there. The area served Arlington Heights as a landfill for several years and was later topped with dirt - becoming the site for Payton's grueling offseason training sessions.
The decision to change the hill's name belongs to the Arlington Heights Park District. Such a move would take plenty of thought, board Vice President Robert Smith said.
"This is the first time I've heard of changing a name. It's something we couldn't decide without thorough discussion," he said.
Tilley hopes the Bears can supply him images of the former star using the hill for his practices.
Tilley says the Web site could be up and running by Thursday. Once users tap into the site to post opinions on renaming the hill, e-mail messages could be sent directly to park district board President Tom Drake.
"Why not take the e-mail and deliver it right to the source?" Tilley said. "(Park district board members) are elected officials ... who have to be accountable to the popular vote. I assume that in Arlington Heights, this would be a popular issue."
But, Tilley says, he doesn't want to step on any toes.
"I don't want to be premature and do something that might offend (Payton's family)," he said.
Tilley plans to discuss the idea with Bears public relations personnel and make a presentation to the park district at its committee of the whole meeting at 7:30 p.m. today.
