Meet Jarrett

Jarrett is a television news anchor, businessman, philanthropist, motivational speaker, former NFL and CFL running back, and devoted husband and father.

Currently, Jarrett hosts “GN Sports” on WGN TV, in addition to anchoring sports on the 4pm and 9pm newscasts. He also contributes to the WGN TV morning news and WSCR 670 The Score during Bears season.

Jarrett’s footprint in the business world continues to grow. His most passionate project is his partnership in the Flagship on the Fox sports bar and Dukes Northwoods in downtown St. Charles. All of Jarrett’s projects are amplified by his social media posts, which reach more than 300,000 people via  @paytonsun.

Along with honoring his father’s legacy of making a difference in the community, Jarrett is now focusing on connecting with children - serving as a role model and stressing the importance of sports, education and character through numerous public speaking events. He and his wife Trisha are the co-founders of The Jarrett Payton Foundation (JPF). The foundation is committed to positively impacting the lives of children and adolescents by creating and providing programs that present them with a wide variety of opportunities specifically designed to develop their leadership skills and enrich their lives. Jarrett also dedicates time to The Walter & Connie Payton Foundation which is dedicated to taking an active role in helping those less fortunate to find stability while providing positive opportunities needed to live their lives with dignity and pride.

Jarrett’s own career in athletics started at an early age. Following a successful stint in high school soccer and football in the Chicago area, Jarrett was recruited by major universities - including Penn State and Notre Dame - before deciding to play at the University of Miami, where Payton appeared in five bowl games and was named Most Valuable Player of the 2004 Orange Bowl.

After college, Jarrett went on to play in the NFL for two years with the Tennessee Titans and the Amsterdam Admirals in NFL Europe, winning the 2005 World Bowl championship. From 2007-2009, Jarrett played in the Canadian Football League for the Montreal Alouettes and Toronto Argonauts.