Chicago Bears and Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers died Wednesday, September 23rd, at the age of 77, according to the NFL.

Sayers, a Wakarusa native, only managed to play 68 NFL games due to injury problems, but still bacame a first-ballot Hall of Famer. In his first season with the NFL, Sayers won the Rookie of the Year award by racking up 2,272 all-purpose yards and 22 touchdowns, including six in a single game.

His career totals were nearly 5,000 yards rushing and 39 touchdowns.

Injury problems in the latter years of his career led to Sayers retiring in 1972.

After football, Sayers worked in the University of Kansas athletic department and served as athletic director for Southern Illinois University Carbondale, before founding a computer supply company in the Chicago area in 1984. He rejoined the University of Kansas athletic department, heading up special project fundraising, in 2009.

Sayers was diagnosed with dementia in 2014 and struggled with it for the remainder of his days.