Gale Sayers, RIP

[Dan Gould]

https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/bears/ct-gale-sayers-chicago-bears-died-20200923-4lv2wfxcangajgbcaiyiwbcnna-story.html

Have to wonder what kind of career he'd have had under modern medical care for knee injuries.

Edited September 23, 2020 by Dan Gould

[Larry Kart]

Have never forgot some sequence photos of Sayers in maybe his first or second year versus the Lions. He'd broken through the line a bit and was faced by two Lion linebackers -- Joe Schmidt and another guy, one facing Sayers directly maybe two feet away from him, the other also close up and a step or two to Sayers' right. In the next photo in the series Sayers was several steps to the left of the two Lions  (i.e. he'd moved sideways) while the two Lions were still  rooted in their former spots, after which Sayers turned upfield. If a guy can move sideways that fast and that smoothly...

He was a joy to watch. Then there was the day he scored six or seven TDs against the 49ers on a muddy field, all of them needed for the win -- the last one on a kickoff return where he scored untouched.

[Dan Gould]

24 minutes ago, Larry Kart said:

He was a joy to watch. Then there was the day he scored six or seven TDs against the 49ers on a muddy field, all of them needed for the win -- the last one on a kickoff return where he scored untouched.

The final was 54-20  so they weren't all "needed" but almost all of them were things of beauty.

[Eric]

The Kansas Comet.  He became re-engaged with his/my alma mater over the past 10 years.  Always looked to be the picture of health.

The highlight reels are still mind-boggling - as if he could run as fast sideways as straight ahead!

[Dave James]

GS, IMO, FWIW, GOAT. 

Edited September 24, 2020 by Dave James

[Dan Gould]

From the NYT Obit:

Sayers later likened his 59-yard touchdown run to a slapstick movie chase and claimed he had run past Bubba Smith, the huge Baltimore defender, three separate times. Sayers called it “the greatest run of my professional football career.”

 

[JSngry]

[Michael]

I remember reading 'I am third" as a teenager.   Not 100% sure but seem to recall a story in the book about Sayers' father washing cars for a living (maybe just for a while?)   and the work resulted in the senior Sayers having massive arms.  As a skinny kid lifting weights, I did not make the connection that nothing beats good genetics.