To me he will always be the greatest running back in NFL history. With just about 17 touches a game, and the yard markers 10 feet away from the sidelines. He was still able to amass thousand yard seasons. He was Barry Sanders before there ever was a Sanders. He truly was magic as his former room mate, backfield mate and Chicago Bear teammate, and best friend Brian Piccolo called him. He truly was a Hall Of Famer on and off the field. "My God Is First...My Friends Are Second...And I Am Third."- From Gayle Sayers Book
This kind of man is what we need more of in football, sports, life. Compare Gale to the kids growing up today and there is no comparison. Thanks Gale, Gods speed.
Yep, I saw them all play. Since then many more have passed on. That said, I'm happy and fortunate to have seen many of these true icons perform on the field!
From one KU Jayhawk Football Alumi to Another...Rest In Peace, Mr. Sayers! I enjoyed our long conversation that day my senior season at KU. You were TRULY a man amongst men and a class act that WE should ALL aspire too. You and Brian Piccolo are running together again on The Lord's football field. RCJH!!!!
I have two sport athletes that I mocked my play after. They have always been my favorites to this day. NFL, HOF Gale Sayers and NBA HOF Walt Frazier. RIP Gale Sayers, LOVE YOU!
One the greatest backs of all time! The Bears were my favorite team from childhood. Church, dinner, and then Bears football on CBS. Loved watching Butkus, Ditka, and Gale! Rest in Peace Gale.
I was a football fan for almost sixty years. During that time I've had the pleasure of seeing a number of the greatest players to ever play football. As mind-numbing great as a number of them were, none of them even approached Gale Sayers at his best. The first play I saw him in was an old black and white TV at my grandmother's house as I was leaving. Ironically, the play isn't included in the highlights of his career. The Bears lined up in a split backfield with Gale on the wide side of the field. Gale takes a pitchout to the wide side with no blocking except at the left side of the line and starts toward the sideline looking for a crease in the defense. The cornerback and linebacker maintain perfect position, stringing out the play so that the pursuit can run him down behind the line of scrimmage. As Gale nears the sideline, incredibly he finds another higher gear. He gets a step on the corner, makes a turn upfield that would rival a UFO and he's gone 55-60 yards untouched despite every man in the defensive backfield having the "angle" on him. I managed to get my jaw up from the floor as to what I had just seen. Jim Brown was reported to have said that Gale was the only man that he ever saw that could do things on a football field that he couldn't do. I believe it. I have never been a Bears' fan, but I am of Gale's. RIP Comet, you live on in our minds as not only a one-of-a-kind player but a great man.
This man along with Brian piccolo showed us what brother who was all about getting out of the color and didn't matter how big tall wide what even the color you were because brotherhood only sees one color United and it's beautiful thank you Brian and Gayle 💔💔💙💙👍😢
I saw a movie called Brian song as a kid it was actually the story of Brian piccalo but as great and profound as this movie was I couldn't take my eyes off of Gale sayers Jim brown was before my time I grew up watching OJ and Franco and dorsett but still to this day I haven't seen anything like Gale sayers
RIP Gale say hi to my brother tell him I love him my respects and my condolence and my love to you're family , wife , friends and the Chicago Bears organization.
My dads old all timers are all being called home. This one hurts. But I’ll always remember you for your grace and greatness. RIP Mr. Sayers, REST IN POWER and go meet Mr. Piccolo again. God speed💯💯💯
Being a KU alum he was one of my heroes. I remember his return to KU in the mid 70's as an assistant coach, and upon his arrival visited the Elks club where I was a bartender and my girlfriend was a hostess. When he showed up with his wife for dinner, my girlfriend, the wait staff and me were instructed not to serve him and his wife because he was black. We all refused to comply with this dictate, and though he and his wife knew what was happening, he never reacted nor said anything -just was very dignified in what must have been a painful and embarrassing incident for he and his wife. A real class act!!
Jim Brown, OJ Simpson, Barry Sanders and Walter Payton were obviously all great players, but none were as naturally gifted as Gale Sayers and it's not even close.
R.I.P. He Has Been My Favor football player since I watch the movie Brian Songs and it started me liking Football ... Chicago Bears' Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers dies at age 77
Gale Sayers was a star right before my time, but as a kid I used to collect books about football greats, and Gale Sayers was at or near the top of the list. And that 1965 rookie season is still talked about as one of the best rookie years ever; right up there with Jerry Rice in 1987. Kudo's to the O.G. Gale Sayers.
I seen something on TV that said they used to make him play when he was injured. I'd forgotten about that. Back in those days, if you could walk, you played. There was no concussion protocol, you can't touch the quarterback, delays because of lightning, etc. While there are still many injuries in the game, I think many if not most are products of "Astroturf". They played in the rain, mud, snow, mostly on baseball fields, there were not domes. I would say there's a very good chance Sayer's concussions led to his problems later in life, that's common among athletes of the period. He was a great running back, I was a Baltimore Colts fan as a kid. I remember him running all over the Colts and they had a great defense back then. The Colts lost Super Bowl III and won Super Bowl V. I also thought "Brian's Song" was a great movie. I think I still have Gale Sayers on a football card. Rest in peace, Gale Sayers.
Yeah. That's the thing with CTE. There appears to be a Bicameral distribution. You look at the yearly NFL obituaries, and the guys from the 1940s-1950s often live into their nineties or beyond. But, then theres another peak of the guys who played more recently, and die (or suicide) in their fifties to seventies. Modern helmets cause more head to head contact, but I don't think they should contemplate not using them, or going back to the old leather ones. In the Old Days, fifty guys/year died from skull fractures on the gridiron. That rarely happens anymore. Then-there is the issue of players being much bigger and faster. And, I don't care if a 350 lb. lineman is "all muscle." They still get Diabetes and Sleep Apnea. Both are bad for the Brain.
@@drpoundsign I didn't know that about the leather helmets, my uncle said he played with a leather helmet in high school. I do know football was brutal in the late 60's and 70's. I remember one play Fran Tarkenton was laying flat on the ground. Ben Davidson launched himself from about 5 yards away in a "sailor dive" and rammed his helmet straight into Tarkenton's ribs. That technique was called "spearing". They didn't even call a penalty on the play. I'm a Baltimore fan, I remember ago a Ravens lineman did an interview about his technique after he retired. I don't remember his name, he weighed about 360 or 380 pounds. He said he'd wrap his arms around the QB, lift him off the ground, jump slightly so they were both off the ground, and come down with his full body weight on the QB. He said it was guaranteed to at least knock the wind out if not break ribs. I watched him do that for years, no one knew what he was doing. It looked like a "normal" tackle, but often the QB was injured. I remember him knocking out a famous QB for about half a season in a pre season game doing that. After that interview, the NFL started making rules about landing on the QB with all your body weight.
The first movie that I ever cried at was Brian's Song. I've seen it a dozen times over the last 50 plus years, and always the same result ( WATER WORKS )
What a wonderful sweet reunion they had in paradise today. Man does his have a lots of stories to tell Brian. All about the greatness and changes he has witnessed in football an with the world.. Rest in love Gale Sayers.
Piccolo was LUCKY he died young of Ball Cancer (now curable.) They actually didn't name it specifically in the movie. But, Mr. Sayers had CTE. HIs wife said he'd had Dementia for years. He just passed at 77, so he must have had it when he was 72. That's a bit young for Alzheimers (although not unheard of.) Better to be a healthy cab driver (or, even a Crip.) A mind is a terrible thing to lose. 99% of autopsied NFL players had CTE 92% of autopsied NCAAF players had it
I was fortunate enough to have seen Gale Sayers play football in 1965 and beyond. True, I was just a little kid then... only seven years old when he came on the scene. Still, the performance he gave... especially before the devastating knee injury against the 49ers, was spectacular. In his last pro bowl game of his career, he showed flashes of his old self. But it was clear he just wasn't the same after he tore up his knee. In those days, the medical world just didn't have the technology available today. I'm 64 yrs old, turning 65 in November. What I remember most now is his last pro bowl game. A true champion, hero and man. George Halas was right when he said there will never be another like him (Sayers). R.I.P. Mr. Sayers.
*As John Facenda said, "Sayers was a born runner -the kind that comes around once in a generation"* The Kansas Comet who only needed 18-inches of daylight! @ ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FW096mnDbmw.html see@ 13:00 'The Runners NFL Film'
They should carry his casket to Soldiers Field and place it at the 50 yard line for his memorial. I believe had he’d not gotten injured his yardage and TD records would still be unbroken. George Hallis said “ there will never be another of his kind” true statement. RIP Comet!
This one hits pretty hard. Mr. Sayers played for my alma mater; Kansas University. Hell, my mom and dad watched him play there. One of the greatest athletes ever, and a thoughtful caring human being.
I think I saw Gale run close to 20 seconds a couple of times untill he made his yardage. He would run backwards first sometimes and almost never caught behind the line. I saw a picture in the Chicago paper when the fatal blow was struck one sf giant above the knee in font and one from behind in back. Headline Disaster.
I almost got into a fight with another teammate over the #40 jersey on our Boys Club football team funny as hell. Mr. Gale Sayers was a tremendous athlete not only a football player but a track star at Kansas. He was not only a Hall of Famer but a tremendous human being off the gridiron. RIP sir.
Remembering Gale Sayers on the 1st anniversary of his passing. I never saw you play Gale Sayers. I wish I had because I am told that you were one of the best there ever was, but I have seen Brian's Song, a movie I love and one that touches the heart. Thank you for the pleasure of your company.
