Sayers: My Life and TimesFour decades ago, Gale Sayers allowed his remarkable running ability on the football field to speak for him. Today, Sayers has a powerful and poignant message to pass along not only to athletes, but to everyone, and it's a message straight from his heart. Sayers, who grew up in modest surroundings in Omaha, Nebraska, is the son of a car polisher and mechanic. After fielding 75 college scholarship offers, he selected Kansas, where he became an All-American halfback before being selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 1965 draft. He later became the youngest man ever inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, at age 34. Tragically, a knee injury in 1968 cut short his spectacular career, which included an NFL-record six-touchdown effort against the San Francisco 49ers. The story of Sayers's friendship with former Bears teammate Brian Piccolo, who died of cancer in 1970, was immortalized in the 1971 made-for-TV movie Brian's Song, starring James Caan as Piccolo and Billy Dee Williams as Sayers. The loss of Piccolo helped Sayers put his life in proper perspective. He later realized his serious knee injury was just a minor blip on the screen when it came to life-and-death matters. Since leaving pro football, his enduring message to young athletes is to respect the game, give back to the community, and prepare for the future. Those are words he has lived by his entire life, and they make Sayers: My Life and Times one of the most compelling sports memoirs to come along in recent years. |
Contents
Foreword by Dick Butkus | 1 |
Acknowledgments | 7 |
The Game Plan | 9 |
Copyright | |
16 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
All-American all-time Ardie asked athletes Atkins ball black coaches Brian Piccolo Brian's Song Briscoe cancer championship Chicago Bears Chicago Tribune Coach Halas College All-Star Game college football Dick Butkus diving Doug Atkins Famer fans felt first-round draft pick Football Hall Football League football player fullback fumble Gale Sayers George Halas guys Hall of Fame head coach high school honor Illinois interceptions Jones Kansas kick returner kickoff return kids knew linebacker live look Marshall Mike Ditka Mitchell movie Nebraska never NFL players offensive Omaha pass playing days playing football Pro Bowl professional football punt return quarterback record remember retired rookie running back rushing scored season sideline Singletary six touchdowns Soldier Field started Super Bowl XX tackle tacklers talk teammate television things took touchdowns University veterans Walter Payton Wilson Wrigley Field yards young