running backs in pro football. He wasn’t a bruiser like Jimmy Brown, but he could slice through the middle like a warm knife through butter, and, when he took a pitchout and peeled around the corner, he was the most exciting thing in pro football.”
Despite the brevity of his career, Sayers gained induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame the first time his name appeared on the ballot in 1977, entering the Hall at only 34 years of age. In explaining its decision, the selection committee stated, “There never was another to compare with him. What else is there to say!”
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Best Season
Sayers had a sensational year for the Bears in 1966, scoring 12 touchdowns and leading the league with 1,231 yards rushing, 1,678 yards from scrimmage, 2,440 all-purpose yards, and a 31.2-yard kickoff-return average. But Sayers put together arguably the greatest all-around season of any rookie running back in NFL history the previous year, helping the Bears improve their record to 9-5 in 1965 by finishing second in the league with 867 yards rushing, gaining another 507 yards on 29 pass receptions, placing near the top of the league rankings with 1,374 yards from scrimmage, 898 kick-off-and punt-return yards, and a 5.2 yards per carry rushing average, and leading the NFL with 2,272 all-purpose yards, 22 touchdowns, 132 points scored, and a 31.4-yard kickoff-return average.
Memorable Moments/Greatest Performances
Sayers scored the first touchdown of his career on an 18-yard run during a 30–28 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on September 25, 1965.
Sayers starred during a 23–14 loss to the Packers on October 3, 1965, scoring both Bears touchdowns on a 6-yard run and a 65-yard pass from quarterback Rudy Bukich. He finished the game with 80 yards rushing and five receptions for 104 yards.
Sayers contributed to a 31–6 victory over the Rams on October 10, 1965, by collaborating with Bukich on an 80-yard scoring play.
Sayers led the Bears to a 45–37 win over the Minnesota Vikings the following week by amassing 297 all-purpose yards and scoring four touchdowns, all of which came in the second half. Displaying his tremendous versatility, Sayers scored his TDs on a 10-yard run, pass plays that covered 18 and 25 yards, and a 96-yard kickoff return.
Sayers topped 100 yards rushing for the first time as a pro during a 35–14 victory over the Giants on November 28, 1965, finishing the game with 13 carries for 113 yards and two touchdowns, which came on runs that covered 45 and 15 yards.
Sayers helped lead the Bears to a 13–0 win over a powerful Baltimore Colts squad on December 5, 1965, by rushing for 118 yards and one touch-down, which came on a 61-yard first-quarter run.
Sayers followed that up with a memorable performance against San Francisco on December 12, when, despite playing on a muddy field with poor traction, he led the Bears to a 61–20 rout of the 49ers by rushing for 113 yards, gaining another 89 yards on two pass receptions, amassing 336 yards of total offense, and scoring six touchdowns, which included a short swing pass that he converted into an 80-yard TD, a run of 50 yards, and an 85-yard punt return. Following the conclusion of the contest, Chicago head coach George Halas, who had been in the NFL since its inception in 1920, stated, “It was the greatest performance I have ever seen on the football field.”
Sayers proved to be the difference in a 17–10 win over the Rams on October 23, 1966, rushing for 87 yards and returning a kickoff 93 yards for a touchdown.
Sayers helped the Bears forge a 10–10 tie with the Detroit Lions on November 6, 1966, by carrying the ball 21 times for 123 yards and one touchdown.
Sayers contributed to a 23–6 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on November 27, 1966, by gaining 172 yards on 19 carries and making five receptions for 65 yards.
Sayers led the Bears to a 41–28 win over the Vikings in the final game of the 1966 regular season by returning the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown and rushing for 197 yards and another TD.
Although the Bears lost to the Steelers by a score of 41–13 in the 1967 regular-season opener, Sayers scored again on special teams when he returned a kickoff 103 yards for a touchdown.
Sayers rushed for 142 yards and one touchdown during a 14–3 win over the Detroit Lions on October 15, 1967.
Sayers helped the Bears complete a season-sweep of the Lions by returning a kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown during a 27–13 win over Detroit on November 5, 1967.
After scoring six touchdowns against the 49ers two years earlier, Sayers proved to be a one-man wrecking crew again when the Bears traveled to San Francisco on December 3, 1967. Playing on a rain-soaked field at Kezar Stadium, Sayers led the Bears to a 28–14 win by returning the opening kickoff 97 yards for a touchdown, scoring on a 15-yard run, and scoring a third time on a 58-yard punt return. Following the contest, 49ers head coach Jack Christiansen, who revealed that he ordered all his team’s punts to be directed out of bounds after Sayers returned the opening kickoff for a TD, said, “It was a bad field, but it didn’t stop some people.”
Sayers supplied what little offense the Bears mounted during a 10–10 tie with the Vikings on December 10, 1967, carrying the ball 20 times for 131 yards and his team’s lone touchdown.
Sayers again served as the focal point of the Bears offense when they defeated the Falcons by a score of 23–14 in the 1967 regular-season finale, rushing for 120 yards and scoring a pair of touchdowns on a 51-yard run and a 32-yard pass from Jack Concannon.
Sayers contributed to a 26–24 victory over the Vikings on October 27, 1968, by rushing for 143 yards and gaining another 33 yards on four pass receptions.
Sayers led the Bears to a 13–10 win over the Packers on November 3, 1968, by carrying the ball 24 times for a career-high 205 yards.
Notable Achievements
1 • Rushed for more than 1,000 yards twice, topping 800 yards three other times.
2 • Surpassed 500 receiving yards once (507 in 1965).
3 • Surpassed 1,000 yards from scrimmage four times, topping 1,500 yards once (1,678 in 1966).
4 • Amassed more than 1,000 all-purpose yards five times, topping 2,000 yards twice.
5 • Scored more than 10 touchdowns three times, surpassing 20 TDs once (22 in 1965).
6 • Returned six kickoffs and two punts for touchdowns.
7 • Averaged more than 5 yards per carry three times.
8 • Led NFL in rushing yards twice, yards from scrimmage once, all-purpose yards three times, touchdowns once, points scored once, rushing average once, and kickoff-return average twice.
9 • Finished second in NFL in rushing yards once, all-purpose yards once, rushing touchdowns twice, and rushing average once.
10 • Finished third in NFL in rushing yards once, yards from scrimmage once, all-purpose yards once, touchdowns once, rushing touchdowns once, and rushing average once.
11 • Led Bears in rushing five times.
12 • Holds NFL record for highest kickoff-return average (30.6 yards per return).
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