Bears Fans Mourn Loss of Gale Sayers at Age 77
Pulitzer Prize-winning sports writer Red Smith once wrote about Gale Sayers' running style:
"He wasn't a bruiser like Jimmy Brown, but he could slice through the middle like a warm knife through butter, and when he took a pitchout and peeled around the corner, he was the most exciting thing in pro football."
It's 55 years after Sayers burst onto the NFL scene as the Kansas Comet, or Magic as many called him, and what Smith said still holds true. There has been no other running back with that same style, that grace, speed and running ability since he played.
Sayers died Monday at age 77 in his home in Wakarusa, Ind.
Those who grew up in the 1960s watching the NFL of the Vince Lombardi era will never forget the thrills he brought them.
Sayers was born in Wichita, Kansas in 1943 and came to the Bears in 1965 with Dick Butkus in the draft. He immediately electrified Wrigley Field from Day 1 wth an NFL record 22 rookie touchdowns, 14 rushing, six receiving and one each on punt and kick return. He scored six TDs at Wrigley Field in the mud Dec. 12 that season in a 61-20 route of the 49ers, a payback for a 52-24 loss the Niners had dealt the Bears to start the season in San Francisco.
He averaged 17.5 yards per catch that rookie season and led the NFL in kick return average (31.4, 31.2) his first two years.
Sayers' best rushing season was 1966 with 1,231 yards.
It all came crashing down for him in 1968 when 49ers defensive back Kermit Alexander hit him low on a wide running play and that unique ability to make cuts almost like he had eyes in the side of his head was suddenly gone.
Those who remember seeing that game at Wrigley Field will never forget his leg dangling as teammates helped him to the sidelines.
Teammate and friend Brian Piccolo helped him through the rough rehab back then from a torn ACL. Later their friendship was immortalized in the movie "Brian's Song" and the books "I Am Third," and "A Short Season" after Piccolo tragically died from cancer while still with the team.
Sayers set 23 franchise and seven NFL records, and even led the league in rushing in 1969 after his torn ACL by running between tackles, as his unique style had left him forever. Later he suffered another knee injury and was forced to retire.
It's difficult to describe what Sayers meant to Bears fans. They had no championships of any type from 1964-1984, and savored the individual play of stars. Sayers was right at the top with Walter Payton later in team history.
"Football fans know well Gale's many accomplishments on the field: a rare combination of speed and power as the game’s most electrifying runner, a dangerous kick returner, his comeback from a serious knee injury to lead the league in rushing, and becoming the youngest player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame," Bears board chairman George H. McCaskey said in a statement Wednesday. "People who weren't even football fans came to know Gale through the TV movie 'Brian's Song,' about his friendship with teammate Brian Piccolo. Fifty years later, the movie's message that brotherhood and love needn’t be defined by skin color, still resonates."
Sayers and Butkus had their jersey numbers retired at the same 1994 ceremony at Soldier Field. They were together again at the team's 100-year celebration last June, the third (Butkus) and fourth picks of that 1965 draft class.
Butkus also spoke of Sayers after hearing of his death.
"Will miss a great friend who helped me become the player I became because after practicing and scrimmaging against Gale I knew I could play against anybody," Butkus said in a statement through the team. "We lost one of the best Bears ever and more importantly we lost a great person."
Bears coach Matt Nagy started his Wednesday press conference by speaking of Sayers and offering condolences to the Sayers family.
"Obviously, it’s a tough day," Nagy said. "What an unbelievable human being, No. 1, player No. 2 and it’s just a big loss for our family.
"And I was fortunate enough to be able to meet him for the first time last year at the 100-year celebration. Pretty special moment that I had."
Nagy appreciated Sayers' style from seeing him on film.
"Yeah, the instincts, I think you see just pure instincts," Nagy said. "It was just fluid the way that he ran the football. You could just see that he could tell what he was going to do before the defender knew what he was going to do and just had a lot of nice, long runs. It was just pretty, pretty to watch."
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