It was on this day in 1965 that Gale Sayers scored six touchdowns during a game against the San Francisco 49ers, tying the NFL record for most touchdowns in a single game.

Sayers had himself quite the rookie season with the Chicago Bears, as he set an NFL record with 22 touchdowns on the season (14 rushing, six receiving, one punt return and one kick return), to go along with 1,374 yards from scrimmage and 2,272 all-purpose yards.  Those numbers were enough to make the Bears’ fourth-overall draft pick a unanimous choice for NFL Rookie of the Year honors, and he would also earn a spot on the Pro Bowl and All Pro teams.

Sayers’ record for most touchdowns in a game still stands to this day, as his six scores tied him with Ernie Nevers and Dub Jones.  And in case you were wondering, the Bears defeated the 49ers by a score of 61-20 that game.

Here is a tribute to Gale Sayers.

Notable Birthdays

Ronnie Brown, NFL -Born on December 12, 1981 (age 31) in Rome, Georgia

Nate Clements, NFL -Born on December 12, 1979 (age 33) in Shaker Heights, Ohio

Orlando Hudson, MLB – Born on December 12, 1977 (age 35) in Darlington, South Carolina