Gale Eugene Sayers (May 30, 1943 – September 23, 2020) was an American professional football player who played as a halfback and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). Sayers played for the Chicago Bears from 1965 to 1971, but injuries limited him to about five seasons of active play. He was known for being quick, fast, and hard to tackle. Sayers was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977 at age 34 and was the youngest person ever honored with this recognition at that time.
Sayers was nicknamed "the Kansas Comet" and played college football for the University of Kansas. During his college career, he gained 4,020 all-purpose yards over three seasons and was twice named a consensus All-American. In his first season in the NFL, Sayers set a league record by scoring 22 touchdowns, including six in a single game. He also gained 2,272 all-purpose yards and was named the NFL's Rookie of the Year. Over his first five seasons, he earned four Pro Bowl appearances and five first-team All-Pro honors. A right knee injury caused him to miss the final five games of the 1968 season, but he returned in 1969 to lead the NFL in rushing yards and was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. Injuries to his left knee during the 1970 preseason and later injuries limited him to most of his final two seasons.
Sayers' friendship with his teammate Brian Piccolo, who died of cancer in 1970, inspired him to write his autobiography, I Am Third. This book became the basis for the 1971 made-for-TV movie Brian's Song.
Sayers is one of five players in the Super Bowl era to be inducted into the Hall of Fame without playing in a postseason game. He was named to the NFL's 75th Anniversary Team as a halfback and kick returner, the only player to be listed in two positions on the team. In 2019, he was named to the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. For his college achievements, Sayers was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in the same year. His jersey number is retired by both the Bears and the University of Kansas. After his NFL career, Sayers worked in sports administration and business and served as the athletic director of Southern Illinois University from 1976 to 1981.
Early life
Gale Eugene Sayers was born in Wichita, Kansas, to Roger Earl Sayers and Bernice Ross. He grew up in Omaha, Nebraska. His father worked as a mechanic for Goodyear, farmed, and had jobs at auto dealerships. Sayers' younger brother, Ron, later played as a running back for the San Diego Chargers in the American Football League. His older brother, Roger, was a successful track and field athlete in college. Gale graduated from Omaha Central High School, where he excelled in football and track and field. A skilled track athlete, he jumped 24 feet 10 and a half inches (7.58 meters) in the long jump, setting a state record when he was a senior in 1961.
College career
Sayers was invited to join several large colleges in the Midwest before choosing to play football at the University of Kansas. During an interview on a Chicago Cubs game broadcast on September 8, 2010, Sayers mentioned he had originally planned to attend the University of Iowa. He explained that he decided not to go to Iowa after the Iowa coach, Jerry Burns, did not have time to meet with him during his one visit to the campus. During his time at the University of Kansas, Sayers rushed for 2,675 yards and set a Big Eight Conference record with 4,020 all-purpose yards. He was selected as a first-team All–Big Eight player three times and was chosen as a consensus College Football All-America Team member in both 1963 and 1964.
As a sophomore in 1962, his first year on the varsity team, Sayers led the Big Eight Conference and was third in the nation with 1,125 rushing yards. His average of 7.1 yards per carry was the highest in the NCAA that season. In a game against Oklahoma State, Sayers rushed the ball 21 times for a Big Eight single-game record of 283 yards, helping Kansas win 36–17. In 1963, Sayers set an NCAA Division I FBS record with a 99-yard run against Nebraska. He finished the season with 917 rushing yards, again leading all rushers in the Big Eight. He earned first-team All-America recognition from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA), The Sporting News, and United Press International (UPI), among other groups. In 1964, his senior year, Sayers helped the Jayhawks win 15–14 against Oklahoma by returning the game’s opening kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown. That season, he rushed for 633 yards, which was the third-highest total among Big Eight rushers. He also caught 17 passes for 178 yards, returned 15 punts for 138 yards, and returned seven kickoffs for 193 yards. He earned first-team All-America honors from the same groups as the previous year, as well as the Associated Press (AP), among others.
Professional career
Sayers was the fourth player chosen in the 1965 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears and also selected fifth overall by the Kansas City Chiefs of the American Football League. After discussing the decision with his wife, Sayers chose to join the Bears. In his first season, Sayers scored 22 touchdowns, a record for an NFL rookie: 14 from rushing, 6 from receiving, and 1 each from punt and kickoff returns. He gained 2,272 all-purpose yards, a record for a rookie, with 1,371 of those yards coming from rushing and receiving. Sayers averaged 5.2 yards per rush and 17.5 yards per reception. His return averages were 14.9 yards per punt return and 31.4 yards per kickoff return.
During a game against the Minnesota Vikings on October 17, Sayers rushed 13 times for 64 yards and a touchdown, caught four passes for 63 yards and two touchdowns, and returned a kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown in the Bears' 45–37 victory. He was the last NFL player to score a rushing, receiving, and kickoff return touchdown in the same game until Tyreek Hill did so over 50 years later in 2016. Bears coach George Halas praised Sayers, saying, "I don't ever remember seeing a rookie back who was as good," and compared his talents to those of former Bears stars Red Grange and George McAfee. On December 12, Sayers tied Ernie Nevers and Dub Jones’ record for touchdowns in a single game, scoring six in a 61–20 win over the San Francisco 49ers. He gained 326 yards in the game: 113 rushing, 89 receiving, and 134 on punt returns. Sayers was chosen as the NFL Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press, United Press International, and the National Examiner.
Sayers said at the time:
In his second season, Sayers led the league in rushing with 1,231 yards, averaging 5.4 yards per carry and scoring eight touchdowns. He became the first Chicago Bears halfback to win the rushing title since 1949. He also led the Bears in receiving with 34 catches, 447 yards, and two touchdowns. Sayers surpassed his rookie season’s kick return numbers, averaging 31.2 yards per return with two touchdowns. He gained 2,440 all-purpose yards, setting an NFL record. His first kickoff return touchdown of the season came against the Los Angeles Rams, as he ran 93 yards for a score. In the Bears’ final game of the season, with his parents in attendance, Sayers rushed 17 times for a franchise-record 197 yards after returning the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown. Sayers was named to All-Pro first teams by the Associated Press, United Press International, the National Examiner, The Sporting News, and the Pro Football Writers Association. He starred in his second straight Pro Bowl, rushing 11 times for 110 yards and being named the game’s best back. The Bears finished the season with a 5–7–2 record, and the Chicago Tribune called Sayers "the one bright spot in Chicago's pro football year."
In Halas’s final season as an NFL coach, Sayers continued to perform well. He shared rushing duties with other players, such as Brian Piccolo, and gained 880 yards with a 4.7-yard average per carry. His kickoff returns were strong, with three touchdowns on 16 returns, averaging 37.7 yards per return. Sayers also returned one punt for a touchdown against the San Francisco 49ers, a game in which he returned the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown and scored a rushing touchdown on a rain-soaked field. 49ers coach Jack Christiansen said, "It was a bad field, but it didn’t stop some people," after Sayers’ performance. Christiansen ordered all punts to be kicked out of bounds after Sayers’ kickoff return, but Sayers returned a punt 58 yards for a score. In a November game against the Detroit Lions, Sayers’ cutback caused future Hall of Fame cornerback Lem Barney to fall, and Sayers gained 63 yards. Later in the game, he returned a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown. After the season, Sayers was selected for his third straight Pro Bowl, where he returned a kickoff 75 yards and scored a three-yard rushing touchdown, earning player of the game honors. The Bears finished second in the newly organized Central Division with a 7–6–1 record.
Sayers had his most productive rushing game on November 3, 1968, against the Green Bay Packers, rushing 24 times for 205 yards. His season ended prematurely the following week when he tore several ligaments in his right knee, including his anterior cruciate ligament, medial collateral ligament, and meniscus cartilage. Teammate Garry Lyle said, "I saw his eyes sort of glass over. I heard him holler. I knew he was hurt." Sayers had led the league in rushing through the first nine games and finished the year with 856 yards. After surgery, Sayers rehabilitated with Piccolo, who had replaced him in the starting lineup. Despite missing the Bears’ final five games, he earned first-team All-Pro recognition from several media outlets.
In the 1969 season, Sayers led the league in rushing again with 1,032 yards, averaging 4.4 yards per carry. He was the only player to gain over 1,000 rushing yards that year and moved into second place on the Bears’ all-time rushing yards list, passing Bronko Nagurski. Sayers was named the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year by United Press International. The Bears finished with a franchise-worst 1–13 record. In his fourth and final Pro Bowl appearance, Sayers was the West’s leading rusher and receiver and was named the "Back of the Game" for the third time in three Pro Bowl performances.
In the 1970 preseason, Sayers suffered a second knee injury, with bone bruises to his left knee. He attempted to play through the injury but was limited in his performance. He sat out the next two games and returned in week 4 against the Vikings but was still visibly hindered. He carried only six times for nine yards before further injuring his knee. Sayers underwent surgery and was out for the remainder of the season, having carried 23 times for 52 yards. During his recovery, Sayers took classes to become a stockbroker and became the first Black stockbroker in his company’s history. He also entered a Paine Webber program for 45 nationwide stockbroker trainees and placed second in sales.
After another knee operation and rehabilitation, Sayers attempted a comeback in 1971. He was kept out of the first three games after carrying the ball only twice in the preseason, as Bears head coach Jim Dooley planned to slowly reintegrate him. His first game back was against the New Orleans Saints on October 10, where he carried eight times for 30 yards. After the game, he told reporters he was satisfied with his performance and that his knee felt fine. The following week, against the 49ers, he carried five times before injuring his ankle in the first quarter, an injury that caused him to miss the remainder of the season. He
Playing style
Sayers was known for his exceptional running skills in the open field, both during his time playing and after he retired. He had great speed and was very hard to catch because he could quickly change direction and see openings on the field. Actor Billy Dee Williams, who played Sayers in the 1971 movie Brian's Song, compared his running to "ballet" and "poetry." Mike Ditka, a teammate for two seasons, called Sayers "the greatest player I've ever seen." Another teammate, linebacker Dick Butkus, said:
Sayers once said, "Just give me 18 inches of daylight. That's all I need." He believed that if his teammates created 18 inches of space for him to run through, he could break free and run quickly into the open field. This fast start became a key part of his style, though some of his speed was lost after he hurt his right knee. After the injury, he focused more on running through tackles to gain extra yards.
Even though Sayers performed well, the Chicago Bears as a team struggled to win games. When Sayers played, the team had 29 wins, 36 losses, and 3 ties, and did not qualify for the postseason. Because of this, Sayers focused on the Pro Bowl, where he excelled. In the Pro Bowl, he had long runs of 74, 52, 51, 48, and 42 yards. In his first Pro Bowl game, he returned kickoffs for 51 and 48 yards, even though the East team tried to avoid giving him the ball. In the next season's Pro Bowl game, he averaged 10 yards per carry, which was a record. He was named "Back of the Game" three times, joining Johnny Unitas as the only players to win three Pro Bowl MVP awards. Sayers said, "The Pro Bowl is the time to prove how good you are, playing against the best of your peers. I took it as a challenge. I came into the game in shape, came to play."
Brian Piccolo
In 1967, Sayers and his teammate Brian Piccolo became roommates in the NFL. Their friendship and Piccolo's battle with cancer (embryonal cell carcinoma, which was found after it spread to a large tumor in his chest) inspired the made-for-TV movie Brian's Song. The movie, which originally aired in 1971 and was remade in 2001, was based on Sayers' story from his 1970 autobiography, I Am Third. Sayers and Piccolo were very close friends who showed each other a lot of respect and care. Piccolo helped Sayers recover from injuries, and Sayers stayed with Piccolo during his illness until Piccolo passed away in June 1970.
Later life
Gale Sayers worked in the athletic department at his alma mater, the University of Kansas, for three and a half years before becoming the athletic director at Southern Illinois University Carbondale in 1976. He left his position at Southern Illinois in 1981. From 1985 to 1986, Sayers worked as the athletic director at Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee.
In 1983, Sayers became part owner of Chezik-Sayers Honda, a new Honda dealership in Iowa City, Iowa. Interestingly, Iowa City—home of the University of Iowa—was almost where Sayers played college football. By 2004, the dealership had grown to become one of the largest in the state, adding franchises for Mercedes, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo, Suzuki, and Mitsubishi. These operated under the names Chezik-Sayers Honda and Chezik-Bell Imports, showing the partnership between John Chezik of Kansas City, Jon Bell of Iowa City, and Sayers.
In 1984, Sayers started Crest Computer Supply Company in the Chicago area. Under his leadership, the company grew and was later renamed Sayers 40, Inc. He served as chairman of Sayers 40, Inc., a technology consulting firm that worked with large companies nationwide and had offices in Vernon Hills, Illinois; Walpole, Massachusetts; Clearwater, Florida; and Atlanta. Sayers and his wife, Ardythe, were also active in helping others in Chicago. He supported the Cradle Foundation, an adoption organization in Evanston, Illinois, and helped start the Gale Sayers Center in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. The Gale Sayers Center provides after-school programs for children ages 8–12, focusing on leadership, tutoring, and mentoring. In 2009, Sayers returned to the University of Kansas Athletic Department as Director of Fundraising for Special Projects.
In September 2013, Sayers sued the NFL, claiming the league did not properly handle his repeated head injuries during his career. The lawsuit said he suffered headaches and memory loss after retiring and that he was sometimes sent back into games after concussions. The case was withdrawn later, but Sayers filed a new lawsuit in January 2014 with six other former players. The lawsuit was settled in late October 2017. Sayers was represented by James Acho.
Sayers held the record for 22 touchdowns in a season until 1975, when O. J. Simpson scored 23. Sayers’ 22 touchdowns remain a rookie record as of 2021. He was the last player to score at least six touchdowns in a game until 2020, when Alvin Kamara achieved this against the Minnesota Vikings. His career kickoff return average of 30.56 yards is an NFL record for players with at least 75 attempts. He is among the players with the most career kickoff return touchdowns, with six. His rookie record of 2,272 all-purpose yards was broken in 1988 by Tim Brown, who gained 2,317 yards in 16 games. His single-season all-purpose yards record of 2,440, set in 1966, was broken in 1974 by Mack Herron, who surpassed it by four yards.
Sayers was honored in the Lincoln Journal’s Nebraska Sports Hall of Fame in 1973, becoming the first Black athlete to receive this recognition. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1977. His number 48 jersey is one of three retired by the Kansas Jayhawks football team.
In 1977, Sayers was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and remains the youngest inductee in its history. On October 31, 1994, the Chicago Bears retired his number 40 jersey at Soldier Field, along with number 51 worn by teammate Dick Butkus. Sayers was named to the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team and the NFL 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1969. In 1994, he was selected for the NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team as both a halfback and a kickoff returner, the only player chosen for multiple positions. In 2019, he was one of twelve running backs selected for the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team. In 1999, he was ranked 22nd on The Sporting News’ list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.
In March 2017, Sayers’ wife, Ardythe, revealed he had been diagnosed with dementia four years earlier. A doctor from the Mayo Clinic said the condition was likely caused by his football career. She explained that the shaking of the brain from the force of collisions during games may have contributed to the disease. Though Sayers was physically healthy, dementia affected his mental health and memory, making tasks like signing his name difficult. After living with dementia for several years, Sayers passed away on September 23, 2020, at the age of 77.