Chicago Bears: Gale Sayers was as good as Walter Payton

Chicago Bears and Hall of Fame legend, Gale Sayers dies at the age of 77.

It was unfortunate to read the headline that Gale Sayers, also known as the Kansas Comet, died today at the age of 77. Sayers had been dealing with dementia and his family had made it known that losing all of his memories was difficult. k has always been a beloved by the Chicago Bears organization and fans.

I am only 36 years old and never had the pleasure of watching Gale Sayers play the game of football. My only real memories of Sayers came from watching the movie Brian’s Song and the memories and comments shared by my Dad.

One of the things I will always remember about Sayers was how my Dad said he was as good, if not better than Walter Payton. Although the two had different playing styles, my Dad said if Sayers did not suffer injuries to his knees or had he played in today’s age with the medical treatments available for torn ACL injuries, Sayers would be even more widely recognized.

Sayers played most of his career in the 1960s and had to deal with segregation and racial issues that are far different than what players deal with today. Although racial inequality still exists, Sayers had to overcome discrimination differently. He was the first black player to room with a white player in the history of the NFL. This led to the great friendship he developed (was not easy) with Brian Piccolo.

The relationship between Sayers and Piccolo was the storyline behind the movie Brian’s Song. Tragically, Piccolo died at the age of 26 from an aggressive form of testicular cancer.

Just how good was the former Chicago Bears running back?

One of Sayers’ most famous quotes was, “just give me 18 inches of daylight, that’s all I need.”

Gale Sayers was very proud of his on the field and off the field work. On the field, Sayers led the league in rushing in both 1966 and 1969. He set a rookie record in 1965 when he scored 22 touchdowns. 14 of those touchdowns came on the ground, six came through the air and the final two were return touchdowns.

Sayers was known for his quiet demeanor and gracious attitude towards his teammates. Before Devin Hester, Sayers was known as the best return man in the game. He was also the youngest player inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Papa Bear George Halas described the former Chicago Bears running back as poetry in motion. Just like my father, Halas knew how great of a player Sayers truly was. Had he not suffered his two knee injuries, would we have seen Sayers at the top of the career rushing yards list? I truly think the answer to this is yes.

We would love to spread stories and continue to share in his legacy. Make sure to leave a comment here or on one of our BearGogglesOn social media pages (Twitter or Facebook) about what Gale Sayers meant to you or maybe a family member.