Ditka on Sayers: ‘He was magic’
Former Bears coach Mike Ditka remembered ex-teammate Gale Sayers as more than just a great player.
‘‘He was a special guy, too,’’ Ditka said of Sayers, who died Wednesday at 77. ‘‘You never heard him say a word. He was quiet. He was humble. Not only was he a special player, he was a good, good guy.’’
Ditka played with Sayers on the Bears in 1965 and 1966, when Sayers was a sensation.
‘‘When he came here, we had him and Ronnie Bull, and I think a lot of guys were pulling for Ronnie Bull,’’ Ditka said. ‘‘But once [Sayers] had the ball, it was all over. Even our coaching staff didn’t know how good he was coming out of Kansas until they really saw him. When they saw him, they knew how good he was, believe me.’’
Ditka not only played with Sayers, who appeared in only 68 NFL games, but he coached Walter Payton, who missed one game in 13 NFL seasons.
‘‘I think the two greatest players the Bears ever had were him and Walter,’’ Ditka said.
Though Sayers’ career was short, his impact was immeasurable and unforgettable, Ditka said.
‘‘People will say there were better players, but I don’t know who they are,’’ Ditka said. ‘‘I don’t know anybody that ran the football any better than Gale Sayers. I played in that game he scored six touchdowns [against the 49ers in 1965]. Everybody was slipping and sliding, and he kept scoring. He was special. He was magic. He made things happen.’’
Bears Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus said in a statement released by the Bears: ‘‘Will miss a great friend who helped me become the player I became. Because after practicing and scrimmaging against Gale, I knew I could play against anybody. We lost one of the best Bears ever and, more importantly, we lost a great person.’’
In a testament to Sayers’ incredible impact, his death elicited heartfelt condolences and appreciation on social media from sports luminaries who never saw him play — from Barry Sanders and Emmitt Smith to Willie Roaf and Ronnie Lott to Jim McMahon and Stacey King.
But former Bears defensive end Ed O’Bradovich, a teammate throughout Sayers’ career, expressed the sentiment of the day most profoundly with an emotional tribute on ‘‘The Dan Bernstein Show’’ on The Score.
‘‘God loved Gale Sayers,’’ O’Bradovich said, struggling to contain his emotions. ‘‘He could run like no other running back could ever run — or ever will run — in the National Football League.’’
“GOD LOVED GALE SAYERS. HE COULD RUN LIKE NO OTHER RUNNING BACK COULD EVER RUN — OR EVER WILL RUN — IN THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE.” ED O’BRADOVICH, former Bears defensive end and teammate of Sayers