Thread: Before "Sweetness" there was "Magic".........

I have never seen an open field runner who was better at his game than Gale Sayers was before S.F.'s Kermit Alexander but an end to that with a tackle that took out Gale's right knee. Not only was Sayers incredibly fast for his era but he had the unique ability to cut on a dime without ever slowing down or breaking stride. Anyone who watches his highlight reel is in for a real treat. No one except maybe Barry Sanders would make tacklers miss like Sayers could.

He amassed incredible yardage totals in his short career in eventually became the youngest player ever elected to the Hall of Fame despite having played in the NFL for only 5 seasons. Just think what his totals might have been had he played for 10 years uninjured!

Interestingly enough that ability to cut without slowing down or breaking stride is the very thing that makes Devin Hester so dangerous in the open field. Just like Sayers he has that unique combination of speed and open field elusiveness that makes it possible for him to score every time he gets his hands on the ball.





ChicagoBears.com > Tradition > 40 - Gale Sayers



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Gale Sayers burst upon the pro football scene in 1965 with the kind of an impact that the sport had not felt in many years. It is difficult to imagine a more dynamic debut than the one he enjoyed as a rookie. In his first heavy preseason action, he 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.
In the regular season, he scored four touchdowns, including a 96-yard game breaking kickoff return, against the Minnesota Vikings. And, in the next-to-last game, playing on a muddy field that would have stalled most runners, Gale scored a record-tying six touchdowns against the San Francisco 49ers. Included in his sensational spree were an 80-yard reception, a 50-yard rush and a 65-yard punt return. For the entire season, Gale scored 22 touchdowns and 132 points, both then-rookie records.
Quiet, unassuming, and always ready to compliment a teammate for a key block, Sayers continued to sizzle in 1967 and well into the 1968 season. Then, in the ninth game, 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. But injuries continued to take their toll and, just before the 1972 season, Gale finally had to call it quits.
In his 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. 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.

(Bio from Pro Football Hall of Fame)