Gayle Sayers: My Life and Times

The new book "Sayers: My Life and Times" (Triumph Books, 2007) by former Chicago Bears running back Gayle Sayers left me with a feeling of wanting more. A whole lot more. But seeing as the interval between this book and Sayers' perennial 1971 bestseller "I am Third" has been about three decades, I probably shouldn't be holding my breath for a follow-up.

That's too bad, because My Life and Times could have been expanded on in so many ways. Make no mistake -- MLAT makes for a good bit of reading. But another 100 pages or so and this book would have kicked some serious ass.

Sayers' book briskly skips back and forth from his early playing days in the NFL to his subsequent life in the civilian sector. His basic philosophy of "Preparing to Quit" (the NFL) is one that should be stressed on all athletes - regardless of the level at which they play. In fact, far too many of today's athletes -- says Gale -- are ill-prepared for the day when their athletic careers come to an end. In his new book, Sayers recounts that seeing his friend and teammate Brian Piccolo die of cancer, coupled with Sayers own career-ending knee injuries - put his professional sports career into perspective. And to that end, he sought out new opportunities in the civilian sector from the minute he first slipped into his now-retired Number 40 Chicago bears uniform.

From a player's perspective, I'm sure those were very life-defining moments, I would have loved to have read more about them. Sayers experienced his first knee injury midway through the 1968 season and doggedly came back to lead the league in rushing in 1969 -- capping it with a 100 yard-plus MVP performance in the 1969 Pro Bowl. In 1970, Sayers injured his other knee and it marked the beginning of the end of his Hall-of-Fame career. Sayers got injured again at a time when the NFL was starting to change. Defenders were getting physically bigger. The dimensions of the field were changing as a result. I would have loved for Gale to expand on his second injury and his attempts at coming back. What went through his mind? In the book, Sayers breezes past the last two years of his career in much the same way he zipped past defenders. That's unfortunate because I would have loved to have read more. Likewise the effect Brian Piccolo's death had on him. Sayers dedicates a chapter to Piccolo but it only serves to recap what a lot of us already know and read about in "I am Third" and "Brian Piccolo: A Short Season".

Sayers earlier effort "I am Third" is practically required reading in high schools all over the country and his relationship with Brian Piccolo shows what brotherhood is all about. But My Life and Times one-ups that book by showing that dealing with real life is a heck of lot more competitive than the NFL ever was.

What is interesting about My Life and Times is that it shows how an individual can effectively close one chapter of his life and open another and not look back. Gayle Sayers went from being a shy, introverted young athlete to one of Chicago's most polished, successful and dynamic businessmen and philanthropists. Knee injuries may have robbed Sayers of his speed on the football field, but Gayle shows no signs of slowing down in the world of business and entrepreneurship and his new book does a good job of pointing this out.

In short, Sayers: My Life and Times makes for a nice book-end to his previous book, I am Third. A nice addition to anyone's sports library and a good example of how hard work and determination can shape an individual and impact his or her ability to accomplish their goals.