Your Favorite Kansas Jayhawk: Gale Sayers

In football, Sayers led the state of Nebraska in scoring in both his junior and senior seasons, averaging 166 yds a game and scoring 127 points.  In his final high school game, Sayers scored 4 TDs locking in a share of the state championship for Omaha Central.

Rock Chalk Time

In 1961, Sayers committed to the University of Kansas, over schools like Nebraska and Iowa.  The Kansas Comet would sit his freshman year, before exploding during the 1962 season.  In an era where many teams in major college football were not yet playing African-American players, Sayers excelled.  He ran for 1125 yds, averaging 7.1 yds a carry.  In the next two seasons, the Kansas Comet would compile 2675 yds and 19 TDs, record that stood until broken by John Riggins in 1968. 

After winning the Bluebonnet Bowl in 1961 (Kansas’ second ever bowl win), the Jayhawks would disappoint during Sayers three seasons in Memorial, going 17-12-1 and never playing in a bowl game.

In an ESPN poll in 2020, Sayers was named the 10th best college football player of all time.  He was the only Jayhawk among the top 150.  His number, 48, was retired and he was inducted into both the college and pro football halls of fame.  Your favorite Kansas Jayhawk: Gale Sayers.

Chicago Bears and Brian’s Song

Sayers was drafted 4th overall in the 1965 Professional Draft by the Chicago Bears.  The Bears had picks 3 and 4 that year, taking Dick Butkus at #3 and Sayers at #4 (8 spots ahead of Joe Namath and 35 spots ahead of Fred Biletnikoff–all future hall of famers).

“He had this ability to go full speed, cut and then go full speed again right away. I saw it every day in practice. We played live, and you could never get a clean shot on Gale. Never.”–Dick Butkus, Bears teammate and fellow Hall of Famer.

Knee injuries would slow the Kansas Comet during his time with the Bears.  He played 7 seasons on paper, but only played 4 seasons worth of games.  When he retired in 1971, he had accounted for 9546 yds and 57 TDs.  He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame at age 34, still the youngest player ever inducted.  He is one of 4 Hall of Famers to never play in the postseason (Dick Butkus, Floyd Little, Larry Wilson, and Sayers).

Brian Piccolo (his Fullback with the Bears) and Sayers were extremely close.  Piccolo would help Sayers with knee rehab, and Sayers stayed by Piccolos side throughout his battle with cancer.  Their relationship inspired the TV Movie “Brian’s Song”, one of the top “guy-cry” movies of all time.