Gale Sayers - Extremely over rated?

[Ubeja Vontell]

Originally Posted by Megatron96

9.7 sec for 100-yards is still pretty fast. Just not world-class speed.

Sayers ran that 9.7 around 1960/61 at that time the World Record was 9.3, and Sayers was just a high school kid.

1961 NCAA


1961
(Philadelphia, June 17)
(15 contestants, 9 finalists; Q—9.8y; no semis)
1. Frank Budd (Villanova) ...................................... Jr................9.4y
2. Harry Jerome' (Oregon)..................................... So ..............9.5
3. Leroy Jackson (Western Illinois)........................ Jr................9.5
4. Roscoe Cook (Oregon) ..................................... Sr ...............9.6
5. Bob Brown (Penn State) ................................... Sr ...............9.6
6. Doug Smith (Oxy).............................................. Sr ...............9.6
7. Bob Poynter (San José State)........................... Sr ...............9.7
8. Roy Smalley (Baylor)......................................... Jr................9.7
9. Larry Dunn (Arizona) ......................................... Jr................9.7

9.7 was smokin' for a HS kid.


His brother Roger in 1962

1962
(Eugene, June 16)
(13 contestants, 8 finalists; Q—9.7y; no semis)
1. Frank Budd (Villanova) ...................................... Sr ...............9.4yw
2. Harry Jerome' (Oregon)..................................... Jr................9.4w
3. Dennis Johnson' (San José State) .................... Sr ...............9.4w
4. Roger Sayers (Nebraska–Omaha)..................... So ..............9.5w*****
5 Paul Drayton (Villanova) .................................... Sr ...............9.5w
6. Jack Higgins (Puget Sound).............................. Sr ...............9.6w
7. Joe Thornton (Norfolk State)............................. Sr ...............9.7w
8. Joe Almgauer (Army)......................................... Sr ...............9.7w