Gale Sayers is the example of someone’s career being cut down in his prime. Alongside Barry Sanders, Sayers can hold the claim to be arguably the most elusive runner in the history of the NFL, constantly making people miss with his blazing speed, which earned him the nickname ‘The Kansas Comet.’ Like a comet, his greatness left many defenders in the dust, and he was already gone before we could truly appreciate his talent. Here is a look at the life and legacy of Gale Sayers.
Early Life & College Career
Gale Eugene Sayers was born on May 30, 1943 in Wichita, Kansas, but was raised in Omaha, Nebraska. His family was very athletic, with his younger brother Ron eventually playing for the San Diego Chargers, and his older brother Roger a successful track and field athlete. Gale lettered in football and track at Omaha Central High School, and set a state record with a 24 foot, 10.5 inch long jump. Sayers was recruited by several schools before settling with the University of Kansas. In a 2010 interview, Sayers said he initially wanted to go to the University of Iowa, but decided against it after coach Jerry Burns didn’t have time to meet with him during a visit. As a sophomore for the Jayhawks, he led the Big Eight and was second in the NCAA in rushing, with 1,125 yards. In one notable game against Oklahoma State, Sayers ran for a then record 283 yards. In 1963, Sayers set an NCAA record with a 99 yard touchdown run, and finished the season with 917 yards and was named an All-American. In his senior season, he had 1,142 all purpose yards and was named an All-American. The Jayhawks later retired his #48 jersey.
Chicago Bears
Gale Sayers was drafted fourth overall by the Chicago Bears in 1965, and was also drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFL Draft. After taking some time, Sayers decided to play for George Halas’ Bears. In his rookie season, he scored a then record 22 total touchdowns, 14 rushing, six receiving, and two punt/kick return touchdowns, with 2,272 all purpose yards. One notable game his rookie year was against the San Francisco 49ers, where he scored 6 rushing touchdowns in a 61-20 rout. He was also named rookie of the year. In his second year, he led the NFL with 1,231 rushing yards. He also led the team in receiving, with 34 catches, 447 yards and 6 touchdowns. He became the first halfback to win the rushing title since 1949. In 1967, Sayers shared the workload with good friend Brian Piccolo, who was diagnosed with embryonal cell carcinoma, an aggressive form of germ cell testicular cancer. Their friendship was the inspiration of the movie Brian’s Song, where Sayers was portrayed by the future Lando Calrissian, Billy Dee Williams. Even though he was splitting carries, Sayers still ran for 880 yards, and returned four punts and kickoffs for touchdowns. In the 1968 season, Sayers started strong with a 205 yard game against the Green Bay Packers. However, the next week against the San Francisco 49ers, he tore several ligaments, including his ACL, MCL, and his meniscus in his right knee. Despite that, he ran for 856 yards in nine games and was named a first-team All-Pro. In 1969, Sayers came back and was the only player to run for more than 1,000 yards and was named the NFL’s comeback player of the year. In the 1970 preseason, Sayers suffered bone bruises on his left knee. These bruises hampered Sayers a great deal, so much so that he sat out four games, then played another game before sitting out the rest of the season after surgery. During his time off, he took classes to become a stockbroker. After more surgery and rehab, Sayers attempted a comeback in 1971. In his first game back, he carried the ball 8 times for 30 yards. The next week against the Niners, Sayers had an ankle injury that ultimately ended his career. Gale’s final statistics are 991 carries, 4,956 rushing yards and 70 touchdowns. He also had 112 catches, 1,307 yards and 9 touchdowns, along with eight kick return touchdowns. In 1973, he married Ardythe Bullard. Twenty-one years later in 1994, the Bears retired his #40 jersey alongside former teammate Dick Butkus’ #51.
Later Years
After retiring from football, Sayers worked in the athletic department at his alma mater for a few years before accepting an athletic director’s gig at Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 1976, a position he would hold until 1981. Three years later, Sayers founded the Crest Computer Supply Company in the Chicago area. It was later renamed Sayers 40 Incorporated, a technology consulting and implementation firm serving Fortune 1000 companies nationally with offices in Vernon Hills, Illinois, Canton Hills, Massachusetts, Clearwater, Florida, and Atlanta, Georgia. He currently serves as the chairman of the company. In September 2013, Sayers sued the NFL for negligence for treatment for concussions. In March 2017, it was revealed by his wife Ardythe that Gale was diagnosed with dementia in 2013.
Legacy
In 1977, Sayers was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame alongside Frank Gifford, Forrest Gregg, Bill Willis, and Bart Starr. A fun fact about Sayers, is that he holds the distinct honor of being the youngest person ever inducted into the Hall of Fame, with him being 34 at the time. Many people regarded Sayers’ running style as peerless in the open field. He had blazing speed, running the 100 yard dash in 9.7 seconds. Billy Dee Williams, who played Sayers in Brian’s Song, called his running style to that of ballet or poetry. The only other running back who has that level of fluidity, speed, and the ability to cut on a dime, is fellow Hall of Famer Barry Sanders. Sayers is still regarded as one of the greatest players in Chicago Bears history, and is the ultimate story of what could’ve been. If there were some of the medical advancements during the 1960s like they have today, who knows how much greater Gale Sayers could’ve been.
Breaking It Down With DKown 