Gale Sayers statue coming to KU’s Memorial Stadium

By Matt Tait     Sep 23, 2020

Former Kansas University running back Gale Sayers turns it upfield in this photo against Missouri at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence. Many of today’s Jayhawks respect Sayers as the greatest player to ever put on a KU uniform.

As memories and stories of Gale Sayers’ time with the Jayhawks came pouring in following his death Wednesday morning, the Kansas athletic department announced plans for a more permanent tribute in the near future.

In a statement released a few hours after Sayers’ passing was announced, KU Athletic Director Jeff Long revealed that a statue of Sayers would be unveiled at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium during halftime of KU’s home game against Oklahoma State on Oct. 3.

“It is a long overdue honor and will be a bittersweet ceremony,” Long said in the statement. “But this will allow us the opportunity to forever immortalize another KU football legend.”

A two-time All-American at Kansas before producing a Hall of Fame career in the NFL with the Chicago Bears, Sayers concluded his KU career with 2,675 rushing yards and 3,917 all-purpose yards.

According to Long, Sayers’ No. 48 is one of just three numbers to be retired by the KU football program. And although he will not be on hand to see the unveiling of the statue, Long said Sayers was aware of KU’s plans to honor him with the statue.

Kansas running back Gale Sayers is pictured in this file photo from 1962.

“Thankfully, Gale was able to be involved throughout the sculpting process and had a chance to see photos of the finished statue,” Long said in the statement.

Like many associated with the game of football, current KU coach Les Miles was a Sayers fan.

“I cherished every opportunity to watch him play and I am privileged to coach in the stadium that he once played in,” Miles said in a statement. “He had a remarkable impact on the game of football and the University of Kansas, and my thoughts and prayers go out to his family.”

Added Long, who called Sayers “one of the greatest, if not the greatest, players to ever wear a Kansas football uniform: “His achievements on the field are well documented and he certainly left his mark on the KU football and NFL records books, but Gale Sayers was far more than a football player. He is one of the finest men to ever grace our program. We are so proud of the way he represented our university and the entire state of Kansas.”

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Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.