Midway through the 1968 season, in the middle of his finest season to date, Sayers was taken out by the 49ers' Kermit Alexander, who suffered a burst cartilage and two torn ligaments in his right knee. He was done for the year. "The only reason the damage was bad was because doctors had to cut through muscles and nerves," Sayers explained. "Otherwise, it would have been worse." After surgery, Sayers returned home to Illinois for rehabilitation. He stayed there for three months before returning to San Francisco in mid-1969.
Sayers' contribution to the Kansas City dynasty that year was undeniable. The Chiefs went 11-5 with him in the lineup and won the AFC West title. Unfortunately, he suffered another injury during the season when he was hit in the leg by Raiders quarterback Jack Tatum. This time, it was bone bruising that kept Sayers out of action for four weeks.
After two more seasons with the Chiefs, where he helped them win more games than any other team in NFL history (29-3), Sayers left football to join the Chicago Bears in 1972 as their new running back. He spent three seasons in Chicago, winning a championship in 1975, before being traded to the New York Jets for wide receiver Don Maynard. Sayers ended his career with the Jets in 1977 after one season. He finished his NFL career with 6,948 yards from scrimmage and 51 touchdowns.
In addition to playing football, Sayers also dabbled in acting.
Sayers got his first significant knee injury during the 1968 season. The running back was struck so hard in a game against the 49ers that his knee was seriously twisted, damaging ligaments and terminating his season early. He had surgery to repair the damage, but doctors also discovered he had a herniated disc in his neck that required surgery as well.
Gale Sayers' career was over at the age of 27, but it didn't have to be. If he had been given the proper medical care when he first suffered this injury, he might have been able to continue playing.
However, even with modern medicine there is no way to know for sure what would have happened if Gale Sayers had not have died in a car accident in 1999 at the age of 45. But we do know that he played through multiple serious injuries during his career at Kansas City including two herniated discs in his neck, several fractures, and two knee surgeries. It's obvious that he was very determined to keep playing despite being injured. Had he lived today, he probably would have found another way to make a living because athletes of his time were not paid much. But despite all the injuries he sustained, Gale Sayers finished his career with 12,443 yards from scrimmage (5,821 rushing, 6,522 returning) and 57 touchdowns.
Off the field, he cemented his community influence by establishing the Gale Sayers Foundation to assist young newspaper carriers. The 1968 season was equally significant. Sayers was struck and twisted severely enough in a game versus San Francisco to damage ligaments in his knee. His season had ended. However, rather than retire, he decided to continue playing at least part of the 1969 season while seeking alternative means of support for his family.
During his only year in Chicago, Sayers helped the Bears win the NFL Championship. He was voted most valuable player by the media and fans. After returning home from Chicago, Sayers established himself as a public speaker and advocate for the homeless youth problem that was emerging due to the war in Vietnam. In 1970, Sayers founded the Gale Sayers Center for At-Risk Youth in North Kansas City, Missouri, which provides counseling and other services to children and adults in need.
Sayers continued to play until he was 28 years old. He died of cancer at the age of 31. But perhaps more importantly, he had left an indelible mark on society through his work with the homeless youth problem and his efforts to raise money for cancer research.
Gale Sayers was born on January 4th, 1933 in Elgin, Illinois. He was an outside linebacker for the Chicago Bears from 1956 to 1969. During that time, the Bears won two NFL Championships.
He appeared in only 68 games. Sayers was in the midst of perhaps his greatest season in 1968 when he suffered a devastating knee injury that changed the path of his career. Sayers opted to retire before the start of the 1972 season after an ankle ailment restricted him to just two games in 1971. He finished with 99 touchdowns and 12,097 yards from scrimmage.
After graduating from high school in 1964, Sayers went to Kansas State University where he played football for three years. In 1967, he led the nation in rushing with 2,213 yards and was selected as a first-team All-American. After his stellar college career, the Chicago Bears drafted Sayers with the third overall pick in the 1968 NFL Draft. He immediately became one of the league's top running backs and helped the Bears win the NFL Championship that year.
However, Sayers' career was cut short due to injuries. He suffered a knee injury during training camp in 1969 that required surgery and forced him to miss the entire season. The following year, he broke his ankle during a game against the New York Giants and missed the rest of the season as well. In total, Sayers played only three seasons in the NFL because of injuries. He retired after appearing in only two games in 1972.
In 2013, Sayers was chosen by his former team the Chicago Bears as their final player tribute prior to kickoff of their playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks.
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