Bears Hall of Famer Sayers was special on, off field
Gale Sayers, the daz- zling and elusive running back who entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame de- spite the briefest of careers and whose fame extended far beyond the field for decades thanks to a friend- ship with a dying Chicago Bears teammate, has died. He was 77.
Nicknamed “The Kansas Comet” and considered among the best open-field runners the game has ever seen, Sayers died Wednesday, according to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Relatives of Sayers had said he was diagnosed with dementia.
“Football fans know well Gale’s many accom- plishments on the field: a rare combination of speed and power as the game’s most electrifying runner; a dangerous kick returner; his comeback from a serious knee injury to lead the league in rushing and becoming the youngest player inducted into the Pro Foot- ball Hall of Fame,” Bears chairman George McCaskey said in a statement. “People who weren’t even foot- ball fans came to know Gale through the TV movie ‘Brian’s Song,’ about his friendship with teammate Brian Piccolo. Fifty years later, the movie’s message that brotherhood and love needn’t be defined by skin color still resonates.”
Sayers was a blur to NFL defenses, like few running backs or kick returners before or since. Yet it was his rock-steady friendship with Piccolo, depicted in the film “Brian’s Song,” that marked him as more than a sports star.
Sayers became a stock- broker, sports administrator, businessman and philanthropist for several inner-city Chicago youth initiatives after his pro football career was cut short by serious injuries to both knees.
“Gale was one of the finest men in NFL history and one of the game’s most exciting players,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said. “Gale was an electrifying and elusive runner who thrilled fans every time he touched the ball. He earned his place as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.”
Sayers was a two-time All-American at Kansas and inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame as well. He was selected by Chicago with the fourth pick overall in 1965 MCCAFFREY WILL MISS AT LEAST THREE GAMES >> The Panthers have placed Christian McCaffrey on shortterm injured reserve, meaning the All-Pro running back will miss at least three games. McCaffrey suffered a high right ankle sprain in Carolina’s 31-17 loss to the Buccaneers on Sunday, an injury that normally requires a 4 to 6 week recovery period.
CHARGERS TO START QB HER
BERT WITH TAYLOR OUT >> Rookie Justin Herbert is the starting quarterback for the Los Angeles Chargers for at least another week with Tyrod Taylor out for Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers.
Coach Anthony Lynn said that Taylor is not 100% healthy and said he is “helping prepare” Herbert for his second career start. Lynn also said that Taylor played through a rib injury in most of a Week 1 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Taylor reportedly suffered a punctured lung while receiving a pain-killing injection to dull the pain in his ribs. A team doctor injected Taylor before the Chargers played the Kansas City Chiefs last week, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. FALCONS’ JONES (HAMSTRING)
UNCLEAR FOR WEEK 3>> Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Julio Jones aggravated his hamstring in last week’s loss to the Dallas Cowboys, throwing his status for Week 3 into question. Falcons coach Dan Quinn said that the team will “take it all the way through” this week before making any decisions. Jones, limited in practice last week with the injury, finished with just two catches for 24 yards in the Falcons’ 40-39 loss to the Cowboys.