Mike Ditka remembered former teammate Gale Sayers as more than just a great player.
“He was a special guy, too,” Ditka said. “You never heard him say a word. He was quiet. He was humble. Not only was he a special player, he was a good, good guy.”
Ditka played with Sayers for two seasons, 1965 and 1966, when Sayers was his most magnificent — seven touchdowns of 50 or more yards, including three 80-yard scores; and kick returns of 96, 93, 90 and 85 yards.
“When he came here, we had him and Ronnie Bull, and I think a lot of guys were pulling for Ronnie Bull,” Ditka said. “But once he had the ball, it was all over. Even our coaching staff didn’t know how good he was coming out of Kansas until they really saw him. When they saw him, they knew how good he was — believe me.”
Ditka not only played with Sayers — who played in just 68 NFL games — but coached Walter Payton, who missed one game in 13 NFL seasons.
“I think the two greatest players the Bears ever had were him and Walter,” Ditka said. “They were two different kind of players. But they were effective and did a great job.”
Though Sayers’ career was short, his impact was immeasurable and unforgettable, Ditka said.
“People will say there were better players, but I don’t know who they are,” Ditka said. “I don’t know anybody that ran the football any better than Gale Sayers. I played in that game he scored six touchdowns [against the 49ers in 1965]. Everybody was slipping and sliding and he kept scoring. He was special. He was magic. He made things happen.”
