Sayers: My Life and Times

by Gale Sayers, Fred Mitchell, Dick Butkus (Foreword)

Four decades ago, Gale Sayers allowed his remarkable running ability on the football field to speak for him. Today, Sayers has a powerful and poignant message to pass along not only to athletes, but to everyone, and it's a message straight from his heart. Sayers, who grew up in modest surroundings in Omaha, Nebraska, is the son of a car polisher and mechanic. After fielding 75 college scholarship offers, he selected Kansas, where he became an All-American halfback before being selected by the Chicago Bears in the first round of the 1965 draft. He later became the youngest man ever inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, at age 34. Tragically, a knee injury in 1968 cut short his spectacular career, which included an NFL-record six-touchdown effort against the San Francisco 49ers. The story of Sayers's friendship with former Bears teammate Brian Piccolo, who died of cancer in 1970, was immortalized in the 1971 made-for-TV movie Brian's Song, starring James Caan as Piccolo and Billy Dee Williams as Sayers. The loss of Piccolo helped Sayers put his life in proper perspective. He later realized his serious knee injury was just a minor blip on the screen when it came to life-and-death matters. Since leaving pro football, his enduring message to young athletes is to respect the game, give back to the community, and prepare for the future. Those are words he has lived by his entire life, and they make Sayers: My Life and Times one of the most compelling sports memoirs to come along in recent years.

Genres: Football, Biography, Nonfiction, Sports

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[James Redou · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a good read. I've always been interested in him since his career was cut short yet he is in The Hall of Fame. It's a quick read so worth the time.

[Mark Richardson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty typical fare. About what you expect in a football great's biography. Well worth the read.

[J.P. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an autobiography of the great Chicago Bears runningback of the 1960s, Gale Sayers. If you don't recognize the name, you may recall that Gale (played by Billy Dee Williams) was featured in a TV movie which chronicled his friendship with a fellow football player, the late Brian Piccolo. The movie was called "Brian's Song".

SAYERS: MY LIFE AND TIMES is an overview of Gale's life, before, during and after his gridiron days. It does NOT take a chronological approach, but rather, skips around, memoir-style. This particular feature made the book a rather refreshing read; the simple "then to now" approach many bios take can make them kind of plodding at times.

We get everything you'd want to know about Sayers---his thoughts on the many NFL greats he played against and for (Dick Butkus and George Halas among them). You also get insight into what it was like to be an African-American player in an NFL that wasn't always so welcoming to non-whites. Of course, there's a detailed and affectionate segment about Brian Piccolo. Kudos to Sayers for rendering a three-dimensional portrait of his late friend, while avoiding the temptation to make Piccolo a saint.

Not so interesting are the parts about Sayers' life since football. Since retiring from the Bears, Sayers has gone on to found a successful computer business and devote much time to many worthy charitable causes and diverse hobbies (flying airplanes, scuba diving). I'm just not so sure that readers needed to hear this in such detail. Still, such information helps to form a complete picture of the man.

More interesting to football fans are Sayers' thoughts on the current state of football and his opinions on the NFL's treatment of retired players. In a nutshell: he hates the showboating of today's gridiron heroes and makes a passionate plea to the league to remember the athletes who built the game from which it handsomely profits now.

The writing (the book was coauthored by Chicago sportswriter Fred Mitchell) is a bit simplistic at times. And it's an understatement to say that Sayers has a very healthy ego. But overall, SAYERS: MY LIFE AND TIMES would be a fitting addition to the bookshelf of any football fan. Especially Chicago Bears fans who, in light of the current team's embarrassing record, would be anxious to relive the glory days of this Monsters of the Midway icon.

[Jacob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gale Sayers, a running back for the Chicago Bears, didn't have it as easy as one would think. Sure he was living the dream, his life turned out just as he wanted it to. He had his dream job; just what he'd wanted as a kid. He had 75 college offers for a football scholarship. Gale held the record for most touchdowns in one game (six). This was against the San Francisco 49ers. He turned out to be the youngest player to ever be inducted into the Hall of Fame at 34. He was the 1st round pick for the Chicago Bears from Kansas University. His career was unfortunately cut short with a devastating knee injury.
As Sayers grew closer with the Bears, he developed a close friendship with former Bears player, Brian Piccolo. Piccolo died of cancer in 1970. (His story was later made into a movie.) This effected his life tremendously. In my opinion, this book is not only a biography, but a story about how a man can overcome the loss of a dear friend.

[Doug Sullivan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sayers was a fantastic athlete and his story, interwoven with the enduring legacy of the film "Brian's Song", is one of the most interesting of all the NFL legends. But this particular book is an unfinished product in dire need of editing. Full of rabbit trails and incomplete themes, it is a regrettable misfire from Sayers and Mitchell.(Is this his coach from KU? Son?)

The reader is left with the impression this was a hastily collected gathering of answers to the many questions he is asked by fans about his career and the current state of the game. Worthy of a book by such a legend, no doubt. But worthy of some basic editing, proof-reading and endings of chapters other than the darn-near "That's all I have to say about that" Gump strategy.

[Charlie Deer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was a great book if you like to know about stats on an amazing football player named Gale Sayers. Gale was born on May 30, 1943. And according to the book he was drafted to the Chicago Bears in 1965 from the University of Kansas. Sayers was drafted in the first round, 4 pick in the 1965 draft. Gale was one of the best Running Backs in his time in college and the NFL. After suffering a bad knee injury Gale Sayers had to make an early retirement from the NFL in 1972. Gale Sayers also broke the record for the youngest person to make it to the hall of fame.

[Tuckerm · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sayers: My Life and Times was a wonderful non-fiction book. I thought this book was a great read for many reasons. First of all this book was about one of my greatest sports heroes, Gale Sayers. Also I loved learning about his career outside of football, for instance a head of a major corporation. Another thing I liked about this book was that it was well written. It kept my attention and really captured what Gale Sayers was going through. I would recommend this book to straight up Bears fans.

[Alicia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved when he talked about Chicago, playing at Wrigley. That must have been amazing. There were a couple of ideas of his I could really get behind, like doing what you do because you love it, not because of the money, always doing your very best. A lot of the time he just seemed to boast about himself...I guess thats to be expected in a Autobiography though...

[Brandon haefner · Rating 4 out of 5]

four decades ago gale sayers allowed his remarkable running ability on the football feild to speak for him. sayers who grew up in moddest surroundings in ohmaha nebraska choose to attend the university of kansas, where he became all american . the story of sayers freinship with a former bears teamate brian piccolo who died of cancer in 1970, was brians

[Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good book I would have to agree with a lot he says in this book. He is to point say's whats on his mind.

[denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I met him at a book signing. My favorite Chicago Bear. What a class act on and off the field.