Gale Sayers
Sayers in January 2008
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| No. 40 | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Halfback, return specialist | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Date of birth: | May 30, 1943 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth: | Wichita, Kansas | ||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 198 lb (90 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Omaha (NE) Central | ||||||||||||
| College: | Kansas | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 1965 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4 | ||||||||||||
| AFL draft: | 1965 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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| Rushing yards: | 4,956 |
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| Rushing average: | 5.0 |
| Rushing touchdowns: | 39 |
| Return yards: | 3,172 |
| Return touchdowns: | 8 |
| Player stats at NFL.com | |
Gale Eugene Sayers (born May 30, 1943), nicknamed the "Kansas Comet", is a former professional American football player who earned acclaim both as a halfback and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL). In a brief but highly productive NFL career, Sayers spent seven seasons with the Chicago Bears from 1965 to 1971, though multiple injuries effectively limited him to five seasons of play. Prior to joining the Bears, he played college football for the Kansas Jayhawks football team of the University of Kansas, where he compiled 4,020 all-purpose yards over three seasons and was twice recognized as a consensus All-American.
Sayers was a first-round pick in the 1965 NFL Draft. In what is considered one of the most impressive rookie seasons in NFL history, he set a league record by scoring 22 total touchdowns and gained 2,272 all-purpose yards, and was named the NFL's Rookie of the Year. He continued this production through his first five seasons, earning four Pro Bowl appearances and five first-team All-Pro selections. A right knee injury forced Sayers to miss the final five games of the 1968 season, but he returned in 1969 to lead the NFL in rushing yards and be named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. An injury to his left knee in the 1970 preseason kept him sidelined for most of his final two seasons.
His friendship with Bears teammate Brian Piccolo, who died of cancer in 1970, inspired Sayers to write his autobiography, I Am Third, which in turn was the basis for the 1971 made-for-TV movie Brian's Song. Sayers was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977 and, aged 34, remains the youngest person to receive the honor. For his achievements in college, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame the same year. His jersey number is retired by both the Bears and the University of Kansas. Following his NFL career, Sayers began a career in sports administration and business, and served as the athletic director of Southern Illinois University from 1976 to 1981.
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