Former Bears RB Sayers diagnosed with dementia
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Relatives of Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers said the Chicago Bears legend has been diagnosed with dementia.
Ardythe Sayers told the Kansas City Star that her 73-year-old husband was diagnosed four years ago and that she blames Sayers’ football career. He played for the Bears for seven seasons starting in 1965 after a record-setting career at the University of Kansas.
“Like the doctor at the Mayo Clinic said, ‘Yes, a part of this has to be on football,’ ” Ardie Sayers said at their home in Wakarusa, Ind. “It wasn’t so much getting hit in the head. It’s just the shaking of the brain when they took him down with the force they play the game.”
In 2013, Sayers asked to withdraw a lawsuit filed against the NFL and a helmet maker that claimed they failed to prevent repeated head injuries. The lawsuit contended that Sayers claimed he suffers headaches, occasional short-term memory loss and other cognitive deficits because of chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
Sayers played his entire career with the Bears, piling up 4,956 yards rushing in his 68-game career, and made four Pro Bowls.
In other pro football news:
• The New York Jets signed veteran quarterback Josh McCown to a one-year contract. The move gives the team much-needed experienced at quarterback, where McCown, 38, will provide a veteran presence who could potentially start and be a mentor to young QBs Bryce Petty and Christian Hackenberg.
• The New York Giants signed former Jets quarterback Geno Smith .A second-round draft choice out of West Virginia in 2013, Smith played well as a rookie but was inconsistent in the years after. He missed most of last season after surgery for an anterior cruciate ligament injury in October.
• Dallas re-signed backup quarterback Kellen Moore, who broke his right ankle during the first week of training camp last year and missed the entire season.
• Oakland signed former first-round pick EJ Manuel as a backup quarterback. Manuel, who played at Florida State, was picked 16th overall by Buffalo in 2013 but started only 17 games in four seasons with the Bills.
Stoops will allow QB to practice
Baker Mayfield will practice this spring as Oklahoma assesses the fallout from the star quarterback’s arrest in Arkansas last month, coach Bob Stoops said.
Stoops said any internal discipline for Mayfield won’t be determined until the situation is “complete, every part of it.”
Police in Fayetteville, Ark., arrested the 2016 Heisman Trophy finalist in the early hours of Feb. 25. They said Mayfield first walked and than tried to run away before being tackled by an officer after an altercation. Mayfield was charged with disorderly conduct, public intoxication and resisting arrest.
“Very disappointed that Baker put himself in that situation,” Stoops said. “As you know, it’s still ongoing to we won’t determine anything until it’s been complete. He’ll go out and practice tomorrow.” In other news: • Three Minnesota players were cleared of sexual harassment allegations in the final round of appeals at the school and will be allowed to return to spring practice, while two more had their suspensions in connection with allegations of a sexual assault upheld. Provost Karen Hanson heard the appeals and upheld the decision to remove one-year suspensions for defensive back Antoine Winfield Jr. of The Woodlands, running back Kobe McCrary and quarterback Mark Williams. Hanson also ruled that defensive back KiAnte Hardin’s expulsion was the correct decision and upheld a one-year suspension for Carlton Djam.
Tokyo golf club to allow women
The course that will host the 2020 Olympic golf tournament avoided being stripped of the event by deciding to change its membership policy to include women.
The Kasumigaseki Country Club said its executive board decided on the change after discussions among its members. The membership policy came under scrutiny when Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike urged it to admit women as full members. Other critics said the club’s policy was contrary to the spirit of the Olympics.