NFL Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers, who died Wednesday at age 77, left two indelible marks on the American psyche. The first one left football fans breathless. The second one turned into one of the greatest gifts any modern athlete gave to the broader culture.
First, on Sayers the football player: There were superstar running backs before and after Sayers, but in my 50-plus years of watching the NFL, only O.J. Simpson and Sayers were able to astonish viewers with the sheer, stunning gracefulness of their runs. Just a few months ago, not even knowing he was ill, I had reason to show old video of Sayers to a non-football fan, and even the non-fan was gobsmacked by his speed, fluidity, and ability to change directions without slowing down one iota. Despite playing on Chicago Bears teams that never made the playoffs, Sayers was the talk of the NFL throughout most of his career.
