Gale Sayers
Gale Sayers was a renowned American football running back, celebrated for his extraordinary speed and agility on the field. Born on May 30, 1943, in Wichita, Kansas, he showcased his football talent at Omaha Central High School before attending the University of Kansas, where he became an All-American player. In 1965, Sayers began his professional career with the Chicago Bears, quickly making a mark by setting several NFL records and earning the Rookie of the Year award. His friendship with teammate Brian Piccolo became notable, especially following Piccolo's battle with cancer, which inspired the film "Brian's Song." Despite facing serious knee injuries that ultimately curtailed his career, Sayers was inducted into both the College and Pro Football Halls of Fame. After retiring, he pursued a master's degree and worked in athletic administration and business. Sayers was also known for his philanthropic efforts, particularly supporting underserved schools and adoption initiatives. He passed away on September 23, 2020, leaving a legacy as one of football's greatest players and a symbol of friendship and courage.
Gale Sayers
Football Player
- Born: May 30, 1943
- Birthplace: Wichita, Kansas
- Died: September 22, 2020
- Place of death: Wakarusa, Indiana
Sport: Football
Early Life
Gale Eugene Sayers was born on May 30, 1943, in Wichita, Kansas, the second son of Roger and Bernice Sayers. Sayers’s father was an automobile mechanic who, in 1950, moved his family from Wichita to Speed, Kansas, for a short time, then to Omaha, Nebraska, where Sayers grew up. His mother named him Gale because she was expecting a girl and had no boys’ names picked out. His older brother Roger became an outstanding sprinter at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and many expected Sayers, who was also blessed with outstanding speed, to emulate him.
The Road to Excellence
Sayers’s coaches recognized that his major talent was carrying a football. He starred at Omaha Central High School to such a degree that by his senior year college recruiters from around the nation were at his door almost night and day. He chose the University of Kansas over other schools such as the Universities of Nebraska and Notre Dame, primarily because he was impressed with the Kansas coach, Jack Mitchell. In 1962, Sayers made the varsity team and immediately demonstrated the skills that have led several historians of the game to call him the greatest running back of all time.
In his sophomore year at Kansas, Sayers averaged 7.2 yards per carry and gained 1,125 yards. His performance led to his selection as the all-Big Eight running back. During his junior and senior seasons, Sayers was a unanimous choice for All-American honors. His performance during his career at Kansas had professional teams trying to sign Sayers after the 1964 season.
In 1965, the rivalry between the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL) was at its height. Sayers was desperately pursued by the Chicago Bears of the older NFL and the Kansas City Chiefs of the AFL. Sayers finally signed a four-year contract with the Bears for the then-substantial salary of $25,000 per year plus a $50,000 signing bonus. Before he ever played a professional football game, professional coaches were comparing him favorably with the great Cleveland running back Jim Brown.
The Emerging Champion
Sayers did not disappoint the coaches or the fans. His rookie year of 1965 was spectacular. Bears owner George Halas insisted on bringing him along slowly, so Sayers did not start in the Bears backfield until the third game of the season. Sayers then led his team to nine victories in ten games, setting a number of Bears and NFL records along the way. The NFL records included most touchdowns in a game, six, shared with Dub Jones of Cleveland and Ernie Nevers of the Chicago Cardinals, and most touchdowns in a season, twenty-two, a record broken by Emmitt Smith. It surprised no one when the league named Sayers its rookie of the year for 1965.
Despite playing on a subpar Chicago team in 1966 and 1967—the Bears finished 5-7-2 and 5-8-1, respectively—Sayers continued to excel. In 1966, he led the league with 1,231 yards rushing and 2,440 all-purpose yards, a league record at the time. His 880 yards rushing in 1967 placed him third in the league, despite his first football injury, a sprained ankle, which slowed him throughout the year.
In the ninth game of the 1968 season, having averaged more than 100 yards per game rushing to that point, Sayers suffered a serious knee injury, which ended his season and threatened to end his career. Sayers was helped through a difficult rehabilitation by Brian Piccolo, his roommate on Bears road trips. Piccolo and Sayers both joined the Bears in 1965 to compete for the same job at running back. Despite a heated rivalry, the two men became close friends, ultimately becoming the first interracial roommates in Bears history. With Piccolo’s help, Sayers was ready to start the 1969 season.
To the delight of Sayers and Piccolo, both men started in the Bears backfield at the beginning of the season. In November, tragedy struck. Piccolo was diagnosed with cancer and was hospitalized. Sayers went on to have another outstanding season, but Piccolo died in June the following year. Sayers had just received the Halas Trophy, awarded each year to the most courageous player in the NFL, when he heard of his friend’s death. He traveled to Chicago, taped Piccolo’s name over his own on the trophy, and gave it to his friend’s wife. This story is poignantly told in what many critics consider the best football movie ever made, Brian’s Song (1970).
In the third game of the 1970 season, Sayers seriously injured ligaments in his other knee. Despite efforts at rehabilitation, he was never able to come back from this second knee injury. His meteoric career in football was over. In 1977, he was inducted to both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. After retiring from professional football, Sayers returned to the University of Kansas to complete a master's degree in educational administration. Sayers went on to a successful fourteen-year career in athletic administration at Southern Illinois University Carbondale and later entered private business as an executive in 1982 when he founded Sayers40 Inc., an information technology company of which he is president and chair. Sayers and his wife, Ardythe, are known for their philanthropy, particularly their support of the Cradle Foundation, an adoption organization, and the Gale Sayers Foundation, which supports underserved schools in Chicago. Sayers died on September 23, 2020, at the age of 77 after suffering from dementia.
Summary
Gale Sayers was perhaps the most explosive runner in football history, combining speed and power with the uncanny ability to change speed and direction almost instantly. In 2000, Sayers was named the NFL All-Time Millennium Team. Along with his prowess on the gridiron, he will be remembered for his friendship with Brian Piccolo, and the lessons both men learned and taught the world about racial relationships and human courage, as well as his philanthropic and fundraising efforts for a number of charitable organizations.
Bibliography
McCullough, Bob. My Greatest Day in Football: The Legends of Football Recount Their Greatest Moments. New York: St. Martin’s, 2002. Print.
Sayers, Gale, and Fred Mitchell. Sayers: My Life and Times. Chicago: Triumph, 2007. Print.
Sayers, Gale, and Al Silverman. I Am Third: The Inspiration for Brian’s Song. 1970. Reprint. New York: Penguin, 2001. Print.
Walter, Milana. "Gale Sayers: 20/20 Vision at Sayers 40 Inc." Examiner.com. AXS Digital Group, 7 Sept. 2012. Web. 4 Apr. 2016.