Sayers

On the gridiron, Gale Sayers allowed his remarkable running ability to speak for him. After leaving pro football, he found he had more to say. His enduring message to young athletes was to respect the game, give back to the community, and prepare for the future. Those were the principles he lived by his entire life, and they make Sayers: My Life and Times a compelling and essential sports memoir.

Sayers, who grew up in modest surroundings in Omaha, Nebraska was the son of a car polisher and...