Gale Sayers Honored By the University of Kansas

Gold Jacket Gale Sayers was honored by his alma mater, the University of Kansas, this past Monday. The former Chicago Bears running back returned to Lawrence, Kan., where he earned his nickname “The Kansas Comet,” to receive the K Club Lifetime Service Award. The award was presented to him because of his dedication and service to Kansas Athletics and his commitment to the K Club Mission.
 
The K Club was designed to preserve the history and traditions of Kansas Athletics, support current student-athletes, and connect former participants, coaches, student athletic trainers and managers of varsity sports at the University of Kansas.
 
Sayers was a two-time All-American while playing football at the University of Kansas before he was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1965. He immediately burst onto the pro football scene with the kind of impact that the sport had not witnessed in many years. In his relatively short career, Sayers totaled 9,435 combined net yards, 4,956 yards rushing, and 336 points scored. At the time of his retirement he was the NFL's all-time leader in kickoff returns. He won All-NFL honors five straight years and was named Offensive Player of the Game in three of the four Pro Bowls in which he played.