(AP)  Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers died Wednesday at age 77. He was a dazzling and elusive running back who entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame despite a brief career and whose fame extended far beyond the field for decades thanks to a friendship with a dying Chicago Bears teammate.

Sayers, had been diagnosed with dementia several years ago.

Known as the “Kansas Comet,” Sayers spent his entire seven-season career with the Bears and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1977, but he was also known by many for the movie “Brian’s Song,” that told the story of his friendship with a dying teammate, Brian Piccolo.

Sayers, in a well-known line, said: “I love Brian Piccolo, and I’d like all of you to love him, too.”