Gale Sayers, Class of 1977

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Sayers burst upon the pro football scene in 1965 with the kind of an impact that the sport had not felt in many years.

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Sayers at his Enshrinement in 1977.

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Sayers' Hall of Fame mural.

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Sayers' Hall of Fame bust.

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In his first heavy preseason action, Gale raced 77 yards on a punt return, 93 yards on a kickoff return, and then startled everyone with a 25-yard scoring pass against the Los Angeles Rams.

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In regular season, Sayers scored four touchdowns, including a 96-yard game breaking kickoff return, against the Minnesota Vikings.

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Sayers was drafted by the Bears out of Kansas University in 1965.

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Gale scored a record-tying six touchdowns against the San Francisco 49ers.

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Gale scored 22 touchdowns and 132 points his first season. Both marks were then-rookie records.

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Sayers suffered a knee injury that required immediate surgery. After a tortuous rehabilitation program, Gale came back in 1969 in a most spectacular manner, winding up with his second 1,000-yard rushing season and universal Comeback of the Year honors.

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At the time of his retirement Sayers 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.

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In Sayers' relatively short career, he compiled a record that can never be forgotten. His totals show 9,435 combined net yards, 4,956 yards rushing, and 336 points scored.