Unbelievable: A key member of the bears who had an affair with a teammate wife has been…
“Over the years, I covered a lot of guys and played with Gale as well as Walter Payton.” Walter Payton is the player I would choose to have for a season. However, I would choose Gale Sayers over any running back I’ve ever seen, including Jimmy Brown, O.J.
Simpson, and others, if I were looking for a player for just one play. Nobody was faster or more adept at cutting. He possessed a talent for being able to jump up, swing his leg, and land in a different direction. I can put it best like that. Gale Sayers would be my choice for a player for a single play.
At the Bears 100 celebration, Bears teammate Mike Ditka played Sayers’ six-touchdown game in 1965
?I doubt that anyone really got it. It eluded their understanding. I’m not able to tell you. It appeared as though he was gliding. Guys, the field was muddy. He was the only one not slipping or sliding. In the entire history of the game, it was the most incredible exhibition I have ever seen. Most likely, nothing like it existed.
Dick Butkus, a Bears teammate and Sayers’ 1965 first-round draft pick, during their first training camp together (from the Bears 100 celebration)
“We visited the Bears camp, and it was quite difficult. We were both first-round picks, and you still had some guys from the 1963 team.
Gale’s speed and agility won the team over, and they embraced him right away. He was incredible. I still credit trying to tackle him with a great deal of my success. In my entire career as a halfback, I have never faced a running back like him. That includes O.J. Simpson and a few other men. This guy was untouchable by anyone.
Bears teammate Ed O’Bradovich discussed on “The Dan Bernstein Show” on WSCR-AM 670 the respect that Sayers received from his opponents.
Upon viewing the movie and witnessing him sprint across the college, I thought it was adorable and fantastic. However, Kiddie Boy, wait until you get up here. You’re going to learn quickly. And yet he simply carried on with his college activities. He was the best runner I had ever seen in my entire life.
He was always able to outpace the angle. He was impossible to capture. If Gale Sayers had played in today’s game, that would have been amazing. Why am I saying that? due to the large number of cameras on that football field. The audio system.
When they combine the highlights, these individuals have the ability to make you feel like the greatest football player in history. How I would love to see Gale perform now. He would create an unprecedented level playing field. Why? Astute. Great hands. He was as skilled at blocking as any back. And believe me when I say that he left as soon as he got the football. That was it.
Fred Mitchell, a former Tribune writer, co-wrote Sayers’ book, “Sayers: My Life and Times.”
Sayers was a self-effacing individual who would always claim that his talent was a gift from God. He would never claim to be the best. This is what I did. That’s what I did. He would simply state that he was lucky to have excellent peripheral vision and the ability to detect when a defender might be approaching from a different direction from birth. Rather than stomping around declaring, “Hey, I’m the greatest,” he accepted his gift. What I did was unattainable by anyone else.
About Sayers’ beginnings and how they later shaped his altruistic endeavors: “He told me about his background growing up extremely poor in Omaha. He told me about a family that relocated nine times in eight years, all because the father was looking for higher-paying employment.
His father’s primary occupation was polishing and waxing cars. In order to make ends meet, he also worked other menial jobs. Considering his lowly beginnings, I believe that his attitude later in life was that he was given a gift and that he wanted to be able to share that with other people. He believed that others could succeed in other ways if they were given the chance—clearly, not everyone can be a professional athlete.”
Regarding Sayers’ success in overcoming speech difficulties as a child, “He told me that he had trouble speaking as a child, all the way up to the point where he joined the Bears.” That played a part in why he was so reserved and quiet around the media as well as his teammates. He put a lot of effort into making that better, and when he founded his foundation years after his career, he made sure that the young, at-risk students he worked with received training in public speaking confidence.
Regarding Sayers and Brian Piccolo’s relationship as it is depicted in “Brian’s Song, it seemed real to me the way the movie portrayed it. However, I doubt he thought his friendship with Piccolo was particularly noteworthy. We both play the same role.
Our teams were the same. Thus, we ought to share a room. There was nothing forced about it—it was a natural relationship. As far as personalities go, I believe they complemented each other because Gale was just a shy child and Brian was gregarious and a prankster. In my opinion, that makes up a significant portion of his legacy because he and Brian were possibly the first interracial roommates.
Mitchell said of Sayers’ post-football life, which included scuba diving and flying lessons: “‘Be ready to give up.'” That was all he would say. That was his counsel to NFL players and other elite athletes. At that time, the average NFL player’s career lasted about 3.5 years, if you were lucky.
You still have half of your life left, so even if you’re fortunate enough to have a ten- or twelve-year career, you still need to be ready. Along with a friend, he founded his own computer company in the early 1980s, placing him at the forefront of the industry. He also placed a high value on the foundation.
Roger Goodell, the NFL Commissioner, on Sayers’ passing
“Gale was one of the most thrilling players in the league and one of the best men in NFL history. Every time he touched the ball, Gale, an electrifying and elusive runner, delighted the crowd. He merited induction into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot. In addition, we will always be grateful to Gale for his generosity and inspiration. Gale’s modest, unassuming exterior concealed his tenacity, drive, and empathy.
David Baker, President and CEO of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, on Sayers’ induction into the Hall of Fame
He was the epitome of a cooperative team member: quiet, modest, and constantly willing to give a colleague props for a crucial block. Gale was a remarkable man who triumphed over numerous challenges in both his life and his NFL career.
America was captivated by the National Football League’s “Kansas Comet” when he suddenly emerged. Gale’s career was cut short by injuries, so he only appeared in 68 NFL games. Nevertheless, based on his achievements on the field and his character, he was an obvious first-ballot pick for the Hall of Fame.
Dan Quinn, the coach of the Atlanta Falcons, was born in Chicago, but his parents attended Northwestern University. He has five siblings.
“My dad told me a lot of stories about Gale Sayers, the Bears, and some of the players they watched when they were younger. Yes, I was just observing Sayers’ kind of shift in focus. Additionally, some of the highlights are absurd to view in old black and white.
He was extremely difficult to tackle because he had the ability to make you miss with both speed and direction changes. If you’re an avid football fan or a true football historian, like many of us, you’ll remember those plays where the player appeared to be moving much faster than anyone else.
That is not common. Some guys are just that good—they can play in any era and would be great regardless of when they played. I have to believe that Gale Sayers would still be kicking ass and doing it in a lot of the same ways, whether he played 25 years from now or 55 years ago.
