KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas Comet, former University of Kansas and Chicago Bears running back Gale Sayers, died Wednesday at age 77 after battling dementia late in life.
Those who knew Sayers, the youngest player ever inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, best — including former Jayhwks teammate and longtime friend, Tommy Black — still marvel at his greatness to this day.
“You got used to looking at his license plate because he was so fast," Black said. "All you saw was the back part of him."
Throughout his collegiate and professional career, Sayers established himself as one of the greatest running backs in football history.
“Gale was just that special one," Black said. "It’s somebody you meet, you don’t forget him, you watch him play (and) you’ll say he’s the best."
Born in Wichita, Sayers went on to become a two-time All-American with the Jayhawks.
“It just kind of gave us a reason to stick our chest out that we had the best," KU broadcaster and former football player David Lawrence said.
Sayers did it all, leading the Jayhawks in rushing, kickoff returns and touchdowns.
“It put Kansas football out there on a pedestal, because he was one of ours and continued to be one of ours and made us proud," Lawrence said.
Prior to the AFL-NFL merger, Sayers was the fifth overall pick in the 1965 AFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, but he signed with the NFL's Bears instead.
Chicago chose linebacker Dick Butkus and Sayers with the third and fourth picks in the 1965 NFL Draft.
Knee injuries ultimately cut short Sayers' career after only seven seasons, but he still finished with 4,956 career rushing yards and 56 total touchdowns — including 39 rushing, nine receiving, six on kickoff returns and two on punt returns. He also threw a touchdown during his rookie season.
Sayers, who won NFL Rookie of the Year in 1965, was a five-time All-Pro selection, led the NFL in rushing twice and had his number, 40, retired by the Bears.
He is a member of the NFL's 1960s All-Decade Team, 75th Anniversary All-Time Team and 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
“Certainly, what he did in the NFL puts him in a class by himself," Lawrence said.
In 1977, Sayers was voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame at the age of 34, making him the youngest player ever to be inducted.
“Even if you never got to see him play and you never met him, you’ll never forget him," Black said.
His friendship with Bears backup running back Brian Piccolo was immortalized in the movie "Brian's Song."
Piccolo died from cancer. He and Sayers were the first interracial roommates in the NFL history.
