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highlight-reel style of play and retired during the 1972 NFL preseason. Five years later, at age 34, pro football writers elected Sayers into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, OH, the young- est player ever inducted. While only playing in 68 games in seven seasons, Sayers amassed 4,956 yards and 39 TDs, averaging 5.0 yards per carry. In retirement, Sayers completed his academic work to earn a B.A. degree in physical education after leaving KU for the NFL just ten credit hours short of his degree. He took courses at New York University toward the end of this playing career to become a stockbroker. He later earned a master's degree in educational administration from KU. In 1973, KU named Sayers as assistant Athletic Director. In 1976, Southern Illinois University hired Sayers as its athletic director and led the program for five years. He also led the athletic program at Tennessee State University as its director from 1985 to 1986. Also, in the early 1980s, Sayers transitioned into entrepreneurship when he launched Crest Computer Supply Company in Chicago, IL. Sayers grew
the company to annual revenues exceed- ing $55 million. He eventually changed the firm's name to Sayers Computer Source, which expanded from selling computer peripherals to system integra- tion. Ernest & Young ® presented Sayers with its Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and in 1999, he became a member of the Chicago Entrepreneur- ship Hall of Fame. In addition to his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Sayers was a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, the Chicago Bears Hall of Fame, the Omaha Hall of Fame, the Nebraska Hall of Fame, and the Kansas Hall of Fame. In 1996, the Big 8 Conference (now the Big 12 Conference) named Sayers to its All-Time All-Big 8 team. In 2009, the National Association of Col- legiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA) inducted Gale Sayers into the John McLendon Minority Athletics Admin- istrators Hall of Fame. The Chicago Bears retired Sayers' jersey number 40 while his alma mater, KU, retired his number 48 jersey. During his career, NFL named Sayers to the first-team All-Pro each of his first five seasons and was a four-time Pro Bowler. The NFL
named Sayers to its 1960s All-Decade Team, the 50 th anniversary All-Time team, the 75 th anniversary All-Time Team, and the NFL 100 th anniversary All-Time Team. Sayers served as honorary chairman of the American Cancer Society. He was a board member of the Chicago Chapter of Boy Scouts of America, the Marklund Children's Home, and Better Boys Foundation (BBF) of Chicago. Sayers also served as alumni spokesperson for the Boys and Girls Clubs of America and a member of the National Board of Junior Achievement. He served on the board of directors at American Century Mutual Funds. Sayers and his wife, Ardythe, were longtime supporters of adoption. The Cradle Adoption Agency, based in Evan- ston, IL, named its facility, the Ardythe and Gale Sayers Center for African American Adoption in honor of Brother and Silhoutte Sayers. A longtime supporter and benefactor of his alma mater, Sayers served in the 1970s as director of the Williams Edu- cational Fund, the primary fundraising
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