Gale Sayers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Gale Sayers

Sayers in 2008
No. 40
Position:	Halfback, Return specialist
Personal information
Born:	(1943-05-30)May 30, 1943 Wichita, Kansas, U.S.
Died:	September 23, 2020(2020-09-23) (aged 77) Wakarusa, Indiana, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:	198 lb (90 kg)
Career information
High school:	Central (Omaha, Nebraska)
College:	Kansas (1962–1964)
NFL Draft:	1965 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4
AFL draft:	1965 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5
Career history
As player:
Chicago Bears (1965)
As administrator:
Southern Illinois (1976–1981) AD Tennessee State (1985–1986) interim AD
Career highlights and awards
NFL Comeback Player of the Year (1969) NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1965) 5× First-team All-Pro (1965–1969) 4× Pro Bowl (1965–1967, 1969) 2× NFL rushing yards leader (1966, 1969) NFL scoring leader (1965) George Halas Award (1970) NFL 1960s All-Decade Team NFL 50th Anniversary All-Time Team NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team Chicago Bears No. 40 retired 100 greatest Bears of All-Time 2× Consensus All-American (1963, 1964) 3× All-Big Eight (1962–1964) Kansas Jayhawks No. 48 retired Most touchdowns in a rookie season: 22 Most all-purpose touchdowns in a single game: 6 (tied with Ernie Nevers and Alvin Kamara)
Career NFL statistics
Rushing yards: 4,956 Rushing average: 5.0 Rushing touchdowns: 39 Receptions: 112 Receiving yards: 1,307 Receiving touchdowns: 9 Return yards: 3,172 Return touchdowns: 8 Player stats at NFL.com
Player stats at PFR
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame

Gale Eugene Sayers (May 30, 1943 – September 23, 2020) was an amazing American professional football player. He played as a halfback and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). Sayers played for seven seasons with the Chicago Bears from 1965 to 1971. However, injuries meant he only played in five full seasons. He was known for being very hard to tackle because he was so quick and agile.

People called him the "Kansas Comet" because of his speed. Sayers played college football for the Kansas Jayhawks football team at the University of Kansas. He gained over 4,000 total yards and was named an All-American twice. In his first NFL season, he set a league record with 22 touchdowns. This included tying a record with six touchdowns in one game! He also gained 2,272 all-purpose yards and was named the NFL's Rookie of the Year.

Gale Sayers continued to play great football for his first five seasons. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl four times and was a first-team All-Pro five times. A knee injury in 1968 made him miss part of the season. But he came back strong in 1969 to lead the NFL in rushing yards. He was even named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. More knee injuries in 1970 and 1971 kept him from playing much in his last two seasons.

His close friendship with Bears teammate Brian Piccolo was very special. Piccolo sadly died of cancer in 1970. Sayers wrote a book about their friendship called I Am Third. This book later became a famous TV movie called Brian's Song.

Sayers was put into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977 when he was just 34 years old. This makes him the youngest person ever to get this honor. He is one of only a few players in the Super Bowl era to be in the Hall of Fame without playing in a playoff game. He was also named to the NFL's 75th and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams. Both the Bears and the University of Kansas have retired his jersey number. After football, Sayers worked in sports management and business.

Early Life and High School Years

Gale Eugene Sayers was born in Wichita, Kansas. He grew up in Omaha, Nebraska. His father worked as a mechanic and also farmed. Gale had a younger brother, Ron, who also played football in the NFL. His older brother, Roger, was a great track and field athlete.

Gale went to Omaha Central High School. He was a star in both football and track and field. He was a very good all-around athlete. In 1961, during his senior year, he set a state record in the long jump. He jumped 24 feet, 10 and a half inches (7.58 meters).

College Football Career

Many big colleges wanted Sayers to play football for them. He chose to go to the University of Kansas. He had thought about going to the University of Iowa, but the coach there was too busy to meet him.

During his time with the Jayhawks, Sayers ran for 2,675 yards. He also gained a record 4,020 total yards in the Big Eight Conference. He was chosen as a first-team All–Big Eight player three times. He was also named an All-American in both 1963 and 1964.

Sophomore Season Success

In 1962, as a sophomore, Sayers played his first year on the main team. He led the Big Eight Conference in rushing yards with 1,125 yards. This made him third best in the whole country. He also averaged 7.1 yards per carry, which was the highest in the NCAA that season. In one game against Oklahoma State, he ran for a record 283 yards. This helped Kansas win the game 36–17.

Setting Records and All-America Honors

In 1963, Sayers made an NCAA Division I FBS record with a 99-yard run against Nebraska. He finished that year with 917 rushing yards, again leading the Big Eight. He earned many first-team All-America honors from different groups. In 1964, his senior year, he helped the Jayhawks win a big upset game against Oklahoma. He returned the opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown. He finished the year with 633 rushing yards and also caught passes and returned punts and kickoffs. He earned more first-team All-America honors that year.

Professional Football Career

Sayers was chosen by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 1965 NFL Draft. He was the fourth player picked overall. The Kansas City Chiefs also picked him in the AFL draft. After talking with his wife, he decided to play for the Bears in Chicago.

1965: Rookie Season Records

In his first year, Sayers set an NFL record by scoring 22 touchdowns. He had 14 rushing touchdowns, six receiving touchdowns, and one each on punt and kickoff returns. He gained 2,272 total yards, which was a record for an NFL rookie. He averaged 5.2 yards per rush and 17.5 yards per catch. His kickoff returns averaged 31.4 yards, which led the league.

In a game against the Minnesota Vikings on October 17, Sayers had a fantastic game. He ran for 64 yards and a touchdown. He caught four passes for 63 yards and two touchdowns. He also had a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. The Bears won 45–37. Bears coach George Halas said he had never seen a rookie running back as good as Sayers. On December 12, Sayers tied a record by scoring six touchdowns in one game. This happened in a 61–20 win over the San Francisco 49ers in muddy conditions. He gained 326 total yards in that game. Sayers was named the NFL Rookie of the Year by many sports groups.

1966: Leading the League in Rushing

In his second season, Sayers led the NFL in rushing with 1,231 yards. He averaged 5.4 yards per carry and scored eight touchdowns. He was the first halfback since 1949 to win the rushing title. He also led the Bears in receiving with 34 catches for 447 yards and two touchdowns. He had even more kick return yards than his rookie year, averaging 31.2 yards per return with two touchdowns. He set a new NFL record for total yards in a season with 2,440.

One of his kickoff return touchdowns was a 93-yard score against the Los Angeles Rams. In the last game of the season against the Minnesota Vikings, Sayers ran for a team-record 197 yards. He also returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown. Sayers was named to many All-Pro first-teams. He also played in his second Pro Bowl, where he ran for 110 yards and was named the best back of the game.

1967: Still a Star Player

In 1967, Sayers continued to be a star player. He shared more of the running duties with other players, like Brian Piccolo. Sayers gained 880 yards and averaged 4.7 yards per carry. He had three kickoff returns for touchdowns, averaging 37.7 yards per return. He also returned a punt for a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers. In that same game, he returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown.

After the season, Sayers was chosen for his third straight Pro Bowl. He returned a kickoff 75 yards and scored a three-yard rushing touchdown. He was again named the player of the game.

1968–1969: Injury and Amazing Comeback

On November 3, 1968, Sayers had his best rushing game ever against the Green Bay Packers. He ran 24 times for 205 yards. His season ended early the next week against the 49ers. He tore several important parts in his right knee, including his ACL. His teammate Garry Lyle saw him get hurt and knew it was serious. Sayers had been leading the league in rushing yards before his injury. He finished the year with 856 yards. After surgery, Sayers worked hard to get better. His teammate Brian Piccolo helped him a lot during his recovery. Even though he missed the last five games, he was still named first-team All-Pro by many groups.

In the 1969 season, Sayers made an incredible comeback. Even with less speed after his injury, he led the league in rushing again with 1,032 yards. He was the only player to run for over 1,000 yards that year. He was named the NFL's NFL Comeback Player of the Year. He also played in his fourth and final Pro Bowl. He was the best rusher and receiver for his team in that game. For the third time, he was named the "Back of the Game."

1970–1971: More Injuries and Retirement

In 1970, before the season started, Sayers hurt his left knee. He tried to play through the injury in the first game but was very limited. He missed the next two games. When he returned, he was still clearly struggling. He only carried the ball six times for nine yards before hurting his knee again. He had surgery and missed the rest of the season.

After another knee operation and recovery, Sayers tried to come back for the 1971 season. He played in his first game back on October 10 against the New Orleans Saints. He carried the ball eight times for 30 yards. He told reporters his knee felt fine. But the next week, he hurt his ankle and missed the rest of the season. People told him to retire, but he wanted to try one more time. Sayers' last game was in a preseason game in 1972. He retired from professional football a few days later.

Career Statistics

Playing Style and Skills

Sayers in action with the Bears

Gale Sayers was known for his amazing ability to run in the open field. Many people thought he was the best ever at it. He had incredible speed and was very hard to catch. He also had great vision, meaning he could see where to run even when things were crowded. This combination made him incredibly difficult for defenders to tackle.

Actor Billy Dee Williams, who played Sayers in the movie Brian's Song, said his running looked like "ballet" and "poetry". Mike Ditka, who played with Sayers, called him "the greatest player I've ever seen."

Sayers once said, "Just give me 18 inches of daylight. That's all I need." He meant that if his blockers could create just a small space, he could burst through it into the open field. This quick burst of speed was a key part of his running style. After his knee injury, he had to rely more on tough running and fighting for extra yards.

Even though Sayers was a superstar, his team, the Bears, struggled to win games. Because of this, Sayers often focused on playing his best in the Pro Bowl. He was excellent in these games, with many long runs and kickoff returns. He won the "Back of the Game" award three times, which is a rare honor. Sayers said he saw the Pro Bowl as a challenge to prove how good he was against the best players.

The Friendship with Brian Piccolo

In 1967, Gale Sayers and his Bears teammate Brian Piccolo became roommates. Their friendship and Piccolo's fight with cancer became the story for the famous TV movie Brian's Song. In the original 1971 movie, Billy Dee Williams played Sayers. In the 2001 remake, Mekhi Phifer played him.

The movie was based on Sayers' own book, I Am Third. Sayers and Piccolo were very close friends. They respected and cared for each other deeply. Piccolo helped Sayers during his recovery from his knee injury. Sayers stayed by Piccolo's side throughout his illness until Piccolo passed away in June 1970.

Life After Football

Sports and Business Career

Sayers giving a speech in 1986

After his football career, Sayers worked in the athletic department at his old college, the University of Kansas. In 1976, he became the athletic director at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. He left that job in 1981. From 1985 to 1986, Sayers also worked as the athletic director at Tennessee State University.

In 1984, Sayers started his own company called Crest Computer Supply Company. This company grew a lot and was later renamed Sayers 40, Inc. He was the chairman of Sayers 40, Inc., which helps other companies with technology. Gale and his wife, Ardythe, also did a lot of charity work in Chicago. He supported an adoption organization and started the Gale Sayers Center. This center is an after-school program for children aged 8–12. It helps them with leadership, tutoring, and mentoring. In 2009, Sayers returned to the University of Kansas to help with fundraising.

Health and Later Years

In March 2017, Sayers' wife, Ardythe, shared that he had been diagnosed with dementia four years earlier. She said doctors believed it was likely caused by his football career. She explained that it wasn't just getting hit in the head, but the shaking of the brain from the force of playing the game. While he stayed physically healthy, the disease affected his memory. Simple tasks, like signing his name, became hard for him. After living with dementia for several years, Gale Sayers passed away on September 23, 2020, at the age of 77.

Legacy and Honors

Football Records

Gale Sayers' record of 22 touchdowns in a rookie season still stands today (as of 2021). He was the last player to score at least six touchdowns in a game until 2020. His career kickoff return average of 30.56 yards is an NFL record for players with at least 75 attempts. He is also tied for the second most career kickoff return touchdowns, with six.

Awards and Recognition

Sayers received many honors after his playing career. In 1973, he was the first Black athlete to be inducted into the Lincoln Journal's Nebraska Sports Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1977. His number 48 jersey is one of only three retired by the Kansas Jayhawks football team.

Later in 1977, Sayers was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He is still the youngest person ever to be inducted. On October 31, 1994, the Bears retired his number 40 at Soldier Field. They also retired number 51, worn by his teammate Dick Butkus. The Pro Football Hall of Fame chose Sayers for its NFL 1960s All-Decade Team. In 1994, he was picked for the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team as both a halfback and a kickoff returner. He was the only player chosen for two positions. In 2019, he was named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. In 1999, The Sporting News ranked him 22nd on their list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.

Images for kids

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  Sayers signing autographs in 2005

See also

In Spanish: Gale Sayers para niños