| No. 23 | |||||||||
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| Position: | Safety | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born: | March 8, 1962 Newport News, Virginia, U.S. | ||||||||
| Height: | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||||||||
| Weight: | 202 lb (92 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school: | Bethel (Hampton, Virginia) | ||||||||
| College: | Ohio State | ||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1984 / round: 10 / pick: 271 | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Shaun Lanard Gayle (born March 8, 1962) is an American former professional football player who was a defensive back in the National Football League (NFL). He played twelve seasons, eleven for the Chicago Bears (1984–1994), and one for the San Diego Chargers (1995). He attended Ohio State University and was drafted by the Bears in the tenth round of the 1984 NFL Draft.[1] He was a member of the Bears squad that won Super Bowl XX in 1985.[2] He was also a member of the "Shuffling Crew" in the video The Super Bowl Shuffle.
He owns the distinction of returning the shortest punt for a touchdown in NFL history, when he returned a punt five yards for a touchdown against the New York Giants in the Bears 1985 divisional playoff victory. He is also known for delivering a late blow to San Francisco 49ers quarterback Steve Young while a member of the Bears. The incident occurred in the end zone during a playoff game after Young scored a rushing touchdown. Following the big hit, Young spiked the football in Gayle's direction, and Gayle was then confronted by other 49ers players in a brief melee.
He often appears with former teammates at Chicago Bears Fan Conventions, and works as an NFL analyst for Sky Sports, appearing on the weekly NFL broadcast.