Gale Sayers
Career information High school: Omaha (NE) Central College: Kansas NFL Draft: 1965 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4 AFL Draft: 1965 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5 Debuted in 1965 for the Chicago Bears Last played in 1971 for the Chicago Bears Career history Chicago Bears (1965–1971) Career highlights and awards 2× Consensus All-American (1963, 1964) 4× Pro Bowl (1965, 1966, 1967, 1969) 5× AP First-Team All-Pro (1965–1969) 1965 NFL Rookie of the Year (UPI, NEA) UPI Comeback Player of the Year (1969) 3× Pro Bowl Co-MVP (1966, 1967, 1969) 2× NFL Rushing champion (1966, 1969) NFL 1960s All-Decade Team NFL 50th Anniversary All-Time Team NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team Chicago Bears #40 retired College Football Hall of Fame inductee (1977) Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee (1977) List of NFL records Career NFL statistics Rushing Yards 4,956 Rushing TDs 39 Rushing Average 5.0 All-Purpose yards 9,435 Total TDs 56 Stats at NFL.com Pro Football Hall of Fame College Football Hall of Fame Gale Eugene Sayers (born May 30, 1943), also known as "The Kansas Comet", is a former American college and professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons during the 1960s and early 1970s. He played college football for the University of Kansas, and was twice recognized as an All-American. He was a first-round pick in the 1965 NFL Draft, and played his entire pro career for the NFL's Chicago Bears. Sayers is a member of both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. His friendship with fellow Chicago Bear Brian Piccolo was the basis for the 1971 movie Brian's Song. He is a successful entrepreneur in the information technology field and an active philanthropist.