KCKingdom
Fansided

Kansas Football loses legend Gale Sayers

By Leigh Oleszczak

CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 31: Pro Football Hall of Fame member Gale Sayers is honored at halftime during the game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on October 31, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - OCTOBER 31: Pro Football Hall of Fame member Gale Sayers is honored at halftime during the game between the Minnesota Vikings and the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on October 31, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Kansas football legend Gale Sayers passed away on Wednesday. R.I.P. to one of the greatest Jayhawks running backs of all-time.

The Kansas Jayhawks football program doesn’t have much to hang its hat on, but knowing that Gale Sayers played for the Jayhawks definitely ups their stock a lot.

Sayers spent 3 years with KU from 1962-1964 and his freshman season was by far his best. He rushed for 1,125 yards and 7 touchdowns that year while also hauling in 61 yards off of 7 receptions.

In total, Sayers had 2,675 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns to go along with 398 receiving yards and another touchdown to add to his Kansas football resumé.

It’s no shock that the Kansas football running back was a first round pick in the draft.

The AFL still exited in 1965 when Sayers entered the draft, so he was actually a top 5 pick in both the NFL Draft and the AFL Draft. He went fourth to the Chicago Bears in the NFL Draft and fifth to Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Draft, and opted to join the Bears of the NFL where he stayed for his entire 7-year career.

Sayers rushed for 4,956 yards and 39 touchdowns with the Bears while also tacking on 1,307 receiving yards and 9 receiving touchdowns. He won the Offensive Player Rookie of the Year in 1965 for his 867 yards rushing and 14 touchdowns he totaled for Chicago that season.

Sayers rushed for over 1,000 yards twice during his pro career and hung up the cleats after the 1971 season came to a close. He left after only 7 seasons due to knee injuries cutting his career much shorter than anyone would have hoped.

The Kansas Comet was a 5-time All-Pro player, made the Hall of Fame All-1960s Team, and was named to 4 Pro Bowls. Sayers was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1977 and at the time was the youngest player to ever be inducted.

Sayers had been living with dementia for some time now and died at the age of 77 on Wednesday.

He’ll forever be one of the all-time greats in not only Kansas football history, but in all of Kansas Jayhawks history.

Rest in Peace, Kansas Comet.

Must Read. Top Rushers of All-Time. light

Home/Kansas Jayhawks