Bears Hall of Famer Gale Sayers passes away at 77

Chicago Bears legend Gale Sayers has died at 77.

Even though he hasn’t laced up his cleats in 50 years, few players in the rich history of the Chicago Bears have earned more praise for their dynamic play on the field and sterling character off of it than running back Gale Sayers. The Bears franchise was dealt a crushing blow after hearing that arguably the most dominant offensive player in franchise history has left us,.

Sayers, who had been suffering from dementia for some time now, passed away at the age of 77 today, per NFL Hall of Fame president David Baker.

Gale Sayers might have had a short career, but he is still one of the greatest players in NFL history

The “Kansas Comet” was picked fourth overall in the 1965 NFL Draft, one pick after Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus. Sayers’ career lasted just 68 games, as two serious knee injuries sustained in 1968 and 1970 combined with the lackluster medical techniques of his career cut his NFL life short. However, that doesn’t change the fact that Sayers might still be the most explosive big play threat in league history.

Sayers was a Pro Bowler four times and a first-team All-Pro five times, leading the league in rushing twice while amassing 48 career touchdowns and 4,956 career rushing yards on 5.0 yards per carry behind fullback Brian Piccolo. Sayers made his mark as arguably the greatest return man of all-time, returning two kicks and six punts for touchdowns while leading the league in all-purpose yards in his first three seasons. Despite only touching the ball 232 times as a rookie, Sayers still managed to score a then-record 22 touchdowns, six of which came in one game, in one of the greatest single-season performances of all-time.

A member of the 1960s All-Decade Team as well as the NFL’s 50th, 75th, and 100th-anniversary All-Time teams, Sayers was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977 at the age of 34, making him the youngest person to receive this honor.

His raw stats might look ordinary, but the amount of praise, accolades, and respect he earned in his short NFL career shows. With Sayers’ passing, the league has lost one of the most dominant running backs and one of the most fun players to watch on a weekly basis.