Gale Sayers

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Gale Sayers
Sayers signing autographs for the crew.
Position(s):
Running Back		 Jersey #(s):
40
Born: May 30, 1943 (1943-05-30) (age 64)
Flag of Kansas Wichita, Kansas
Career Information
Year(s): 1965-1971
NFL Draft: 1965 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4
College: Kansas
Professional Teams
Career Stats
Rushing Yards     4,956
Average     5.0
Touchdowns     48
Stats at NFL.com
Career Highlights and Awards
Pro Football Hall of Fame
College Hall of Fame

Gale Eugene Sayers (b. May 30, 1943, Wichita, Kansas), also known as "The Kansas Comet", was a professional football player in the National Football League who spent his entire career with the Chicago Bears. He currently resides in Wakarusa, Indiana.

Contents

Sayers, raised in Omaha, NE, graduated from Omaha Central High School and was a two-time All-American player at the University of Kansas. During his Jayhawk career, he rushed for 2,675 yards and gained 3,917 all-purpose yards. In 1963, he set an NCAA Division I record with a 99-yard run against Nebraska. In his senior year, he led the Jayhawks to a 15-14 upset victory over Oklahoma with a 96-yard kickoff return. Sayers is considered by many to have been the greatest open field runner in college football history.

Sayers was drafted by the Chicago Bears of the NFL, as well as the AFL's Kansas City Chiefs, in fact being offered more money to play there, but he ultimately chose the Bears. He was one of the Bears' three first round draft picks in 1965; the others were defensive end Steve DeLong (who signed with the AFL) and linebacker Dick Butkus. In Sayers' rookie year, he scored a NFL record 22 touchdowns (14 rushing, 6 receiving, and 1 each on punt and kickoff returns). He gained 1,374 yards from scrimmage and had 2,272 all-purpose yards (also a record, later broken by Tim Brown, who played two more games than Sayers). He tied Ernie Nevers' and Dub Jones' record for touchdowns in a single game, with 6 against the San Francisco 49ers on December 12. Sayers averaged an impressive 5.2 yards per rush and 17.5 yards per reception. His return averages were even more impressive, with 14.9 yards per punt return and 31.4 yards per kickoff return. Sayers' rookie season should be ranked among the greatest single seasons by any player in professional football history. He was the unanimous choice for NFL Rookie of the Year honors. Despite his heroics, the Bears finished in third place in the NFL Western Conference (behind the Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Colts).

In his second season, despite being the focus of opposing defenses, Sayers led the league in rushing with 1,231 yards, averaging 5.4 yards per carry with 8 touchdowns. He led the Bears in receiving with 34 catches, 447 yards, and two more scores; he also more than matched his rookie season's kick return numbers, averaging 31.2 yards per return with 2 touchdowns. He set another NFL record with 2,440 all-purpose yards despite the fact the Bears struggled, finishing in fifth place with a 5-7-2 record. Sayers also won the first of three Pro Bowl MVP awards.

In George Halas' last season as an NFL coach, Sayers again starred on a relatively average Bear team. Sharing more of the rushing duties with other backs, like Brian Piccolo, Sayers gained only 880 yards with a 4.7 average per carry. His receptions were down as well, as the Chicago offense had become somewhat punchless. Only his returns remained spectacular. He had 3 kickoff returns for touchdowns on only 16 returns, averaging 37.7 yards per return. Only rarely returning punts, Sayers still managed to run one back for a score. Chicago finished in second place behind Green Bay in the newly organized Central Division with a 7-6-1 record.

After the first eight games of 1968, Sayers was again leading the NFL in rushing (he finished with 856 yards and a 6.2 average per carry). However, his season ended prematurely in a game against the San Francisco 49ers when Sayers tore many ligaments in his right knee. He had surgery and rehabilitation, with the help of teammate Brian Piccolo. In the 1969 season he led the league in rushing once again with 1,032 yards, but he lacked the lightning speed he once had, and he averaged only 4.4 yards per carry. The Bears, long past the Halas glory years, finished in last place with a franchise worst 1-13 record.

In 1970, Sayers suffered a second knee injury, this time to his left knee. Brian Piccolo also died of cancer that year. During his off time, he took classes at the University of New York to become a stockbroker and became the first black stockbroker in his company's history. After another rehabilitation period, he tried another comeback in 1971, but was not successful. He was encouraged to retire because of his loss of speed. His final game was in the preseason; he was handed the ball three times and fumbled twice.

Sayers retired from football in 1971 and began a career as CEO of a computer company. In 1977, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and is still the youngest inductee in the Hall's history. In 1994, the Bears retired his number 40 at Soldier Field, along with the number 51 of his teammate, legendary linebacker Dick Butkus. In 1999, despite the brevity of his career, he was ranked #21 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.

Sayers played just over 4 1/2 full NFL seasons and finished with 991 rushes for 4,956 yards and 39 touchdowns. He also had 112 receptions for 1,307 yards and 9 touchdowns. His return numbers were 27 punt returns for 391 yards and 2 scores plus 91 kick returns for 2,781 yards and 6 TDs. Sayers retired with the Bears' franchise record for kickoff and punts returns for touchdowns at eight. He was surpassed by Devin Hester on November 25, 2007. Sayers' remaining NFL records are most touchdowns in a rookie season (22 in 1965), most touchdowns in a game (6, tied with Nevers and Jones), highest career kickoff return average (30.56), most kickoff return touchdowns (6, tied with four other players), and most return touchdowns in a game (2, tied with many players).

His friendship with teammate Brian Piccolo, and Piccolo's struggle with cancer (embryonal cell carcinoma, a type of cancer, found as a large tumor in his chest cavity which would eventually result in his death), became the subject of the made-for-TV movie Brian's Song. The movie, in which Sayers was portrayed by Billy Dee Williams in the 1971 original, and by Mekhi Phifer in the 2001 remake, was adapted from Sayers' own telling of this story in his 1971 autobiography I Am Third.

A notable aspect of Sayers' friendship with Piccolo, a white man, and the first film's depiction of their friendship, was its effect on race relations. The first film was made in the wake of racial riots and charges of discrimination across the nation. Sayers and Piccolo were devoted friends and deeply respectful of and affectionate with each other. Piccolo helped Sayers through rehabilitation after injury, and Sayers was by Piccolo's side throughout his illness.

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The following table ranks all National Football League kick returners with at least 4 touchdown returns by touchdown return percentage:

Top 25 career
Name TD Returns Yards Average TD % Start End
Devin Hester 4 60 1420 23.67 6.67% 2006 2007
Gale Sayers 6 91 2781 30.56 6.59% 1965 1971
Travis Williams 6 102 2801 27.46 5.88% 1967 1971
Bobby Mitchell 5 102 2690 26.37 4.90% 1958 1968
Ollie Matson 6 143 3746 26.20 4.20% 1952 1964
Jon Vaughn 4 103 2390 23.20 3.88% 1991 1994
Darrick Vaughn 4 103 2620 25.44 3.88% 2000 2003
Cecil Turner 4 108 2616 24.22 3.70% 1968 1973
Tony Horne 4 143 3577 25.01 2.80% 1998 2000
Timmy Brown 5 186 4781 25.70 2.69% 1959 1968
Abe Woodson 5 193 5538 28.69 2.59% 1958 1966
Andre Coleman 4 193 4446 23.04 2.07% 1994 1998
Ron Brown 4 199 4493 22.58 2.01% 1984 1990
Terrence McGee 4 202 5339 26.43 1.98% 2003 2007
Tamarick Vanover 4 226 5422 23.99 1.77% 1995 1999
Dante Hall 6 389 9373 24.10 1.54% 2000 2007
Mel Gray 6 421 10250 24.35 1.43% 1986 1997
Michael Bates 5 373 9110 24.42 1.34% 1993 2003
Allen Rossum 4 459 10520 22.92 0.87% 1998 2007
Brian Mitchell 4 607 14014 23.09 0.66% 1990 2003
v • d • e
National Football League | NFL's 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
v • d • e
National Football League | NFL's 1960s All-Decade Team
v • d • e
Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs first round draft picks
view • talk • edit
Haynes • Holub • Bull • Buchanan • E. Budde • Beathard • Sayers • Brown • Trosch • Moorman • Daney • Marsalis • Smith • Wright • Kinney • W. Green • Walters • G. Green • Still • Bell • Fuller • B. Budde • Scott • Hancock • Blackledge • Maas • Alt • Horton • Jozwiak • Palmer • Smith • Thomas • Snow • Williams • Carter • Hill • Jenkins • Woods • Gonzalez • Riley • Tait • Morris • Sims • L. Johnson • D. Johnson • Hali • Bowe
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gale_Sayers"
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