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Bears RB Gale Sayers dies, story told in TV movie ‘Brian’s Song’

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Former Chicago Bears running back Gale Sayers has died. He was 77.

Sayers, who was the youngest player ever inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, was known as the “Kansas Comet," NBC News reported.

He had tied one NFL record for six touchdowns in a single game and had a record for 22 touchdowns in his first season. He was the unanimous choice for Offensive Rookie of the Year, The Associated Press reported.

Overall, he had rushed for 4,956 yards, scored 56 touchdowns in seven years and racked up 9,435 all-purpose yards, the Chicago Tribune reported.

He was also an All-Pro for the first five years of his seasons with the Bears.

But knee injuries cut Sayers' career short after only seven seasons and 68 games, the Chicago Tribune reported.

His story didn’t end with his career, however.

Sayers was known for a close friendship with Brian Piccolo, a teammate who was dying from cancer, and inspired the made-for-TV movie “Brian’s Song” starring Billy Dee Williams as Sayers and James Caan as Piccolo.

Sayers and Piccolo were roommates at the height of racial tensions plaguing America in 1967. Piccolo helped Sayers while recovering from injuries in 1968. In 1969, Piccolo was diagnosed with cancer, with Sayers supporting his friend until he died, the AP reported.

When Sayers received the George S. Halas Award for courage, he said, “You flatter me by giving me this award, but I can tell you here and now that I accept it for Brian Piccolo. ... I love Brian Piccolo and I’d like all of you to love him too. Tonight, when you hit your knees, please ask God to love him."

“He was the very essence of a team player — quiet, unassuming and always ready to compliment a teammate for a key block. Gale was an extraordinary man who overcame a great deal of adversity during his NFL career and life,” Hall of Fame President and CEO David Baker said of Sayers, according to NBC News.

After his time on the football field, Sayers became a stockbroker, sports administrator, businessman and philanthropist, the AP reported.

In 2019, he appeared frail and in a wheelchair during a celebration of the Bears' 100th anniversary, the Tribune reported. He also had dementia that his wife blamed on football, the AP reported.


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