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Though he played just four full seasons in the
National Football League (NFL), Gale Eugene
Sayers, born May 30, 1943, in Wichita, Kansas,
ran his way to historical prominence with the
Chicago Bears from 1965 to 1971. Sayers's talents
were first realized in Omaha, Nebraska,
where he was a standout in football and track
at Central High School. After receiving a
scholarship to play football at the University
of Kansas, he earned All–American status as
a halfback in 1963 and 1964. As a Jayhawk
he amassed 2,675 rushing and receiving yards,
averaged 6.5 yards per carry, and was named
first-team All–Big Eight three years straight.
In his sophomore campaign, Sayers gained
1,125 yards on 158 carries to lead the nation
with a 7.1-yard average.
Sayers's success carried over into the NFL, as
he lived up to high expectations of him as the
Bears' first pick and the fourth overall pick of
the 1965 draft. With a combination of balance,
speed, and instinct, the six-foot 200-pound
Sayers established himself as the premier running
back of his time. While playing in just
sixty-eight games, equivalent to fewer than
five seasons today, Number 40 compiled 9,435
all-purpose yards, recorded fifty-six career
touchdowns, and broke four NFL records and
tied two more. He still shares a record with
Dub Jones and Ernie Nevers for scoring six
touchdowns in one game. He ran for four,
caught one, and returned a punt for another
record against the San Francisco Forty-niners
on December 12, 1965. That same year he
led the NFL with twenty-two touchdowns, a
rookie record. Sayers not only stood out as a
halfback, but his elusiveness on the field also
led to dominance as a punt- and kickoff-
return specialist. He holds the record for highest
average yardage per kickoff return in a career,
at 30.6 yards, and is tied with Ollie Matson
for returning six kickoffs for touchdowns.
He led the NFL with a 31.2-yard average in
1966, and his career best, a remarkable 37.7
yards, came a year later.
Sayers won two rushing titles in 1966 and
1969 (1,231 and 1,032 yards, respectively),
rushed for 100 yards or more in twenty games,
averaged five yards per carry, and was named
Rookie of the Year. In five professional bowlgame
appearances, he was named Most Valuable
Player three times. Two severe knee injuries
cut his career short, and he was forced
to retire in 1971. At thirty-four years old, he
became the youngest inductee into the NFL
Hall of Fame in 1977. Since his retirement
from football, Sayers has become a successful
businessman as head of Crest Computer Supplies,
a Skokie, Illinois–based company.
See also SPORTS AND RECREATION:
Football, American.