In the 68 years since he first became an Eagle, Roger Sayers, CHS 1960, has seldom been anything but busy. A notable, multi-talented athlete during his career at Omaha Central High School, Sayers was a record-setting track star and won the Nebraska Boys State 100 and 220 yard dash gold medals in 1958. While leading the track team to two state championships in 1958 and 1959, Sayers was also named All City and All State in football.
Roger then launched into his collegiate athletic career at Omaha University, where he received scholarships to participate in football and track. After winning 28 consecutive races during his freshman year, Roger then enjoyed the best two-year period of any Omaha University athlete ever in 1962 and 1963. During this period, Roger captured the NAIA championship in the 100 and 200 meter races, accomplished 100 meter titles at the Texas, Kansas, and Drake relays, defeated Olympic gold medalist Bob Hayes twice in 1962, and led Omaha University to a Central Intercollegiate Conference title and an All Sports Bowl championship. Roger set multiple records on the football field while helping to lead Omaha University to its second bowl appearance in 1962. Amidst his collegiate athletic success, Roger was also selected to be on the United States Track Team in 1962, defeating Poland and the Soviet Union in dual competition. For these achievements, Sayers was named the 1962 Nebraska State College Athlete of the Year.
Because of his success, Roger has been given a number of accolades celebrating his athletic career. Sayers has been inducted into three track and field halls of fame, the University of Nebraska Football Hall of Fame, five athletic halls of fame, and the Central High School Hall of Fame.
Since the end of his athletic career, Roger has continued to find success and fulfillment in his personal and professional lives and in his community. After graduating from Omaha University with a degree in Business Administration, he went on to get his Master’s in Business Administration from OU. He then spent 26 years working for Union Pacific and served the City of Omaha as its Director of Human Relations.
"I’ve always been in love with Central. Central has always been a foundation for everything I’ve done."
Roger Sayers, Class of 1960
For the last 39 years, Roger has been married to his wife, Annette, whom he says is his very best friend. “As I have repeatedly said on many occasions, we are compatible on so many levels.” Together they love to travel and visit their large family. They have five children, twelve grandchildren, and twelve great-grandchildren. They have also taken 40 cruises together, enjoy taking long walks, and share an appreciation for theatre arts. For over 40 years, the couple have also been members of Salem Baptist Church, of which Roger currently serves as a trustee.
Along with service at his church, Roger has served his community in numerous ways. He has been president of both the La Fern Williams Stage Theatre and the Urban League of Nebraska, served as the Nebraska coordinator of the United Negro College Fund, and spent time on the Board of Directors of Make-A-Wish Nebraska and the Central High School Foundation. “Volunteer work has always been an integral part of my life. I have always felt that anyone who has the time should consider volunteering with the many organizations throughout the city that could benefit from their skills and talents.”
Being the community-minded man that Roger is, he has never forgotten where it all started for him – in the hallowed halls of Central High School. “I’ve always been in love with Central,” says Roger, with a glimmer in his eye. “Central has always been a foundation for everything I’ve done.” Roger looks back at his time at Central with a fondness that shines through his every word. “Because of the academic background I received at Central, my first year at Omaha University, although challenging, was not overwhelming. I found myself well suited for the academic experience at Omaha University. I quickly learned that with my reading, writing, and academic skills developed at Central, I could compete at the university at both the undergraduate and master’s level.” His enthusiasm and appreciation for Central is what inspired him to create the Roger Sayers, CHS 1960, Endowed Scholarship, which will award two $5,000 scholarships to qualifying students every year.
Although it has been many years since Roger graduated, he says that he thinks about Central on a daily basis. “Central was all inclusive for me,” he says, “I enjoyed my fellow students, I loved my friends, and I enjoyed the athletic and academic aspects,” which are what he says made Central magnetic for him. Roger has a magnetism about him, too. There is a reason why he has so often been a leader in his communities, and it is the warmth and compassion he shows to those around him. Roger has an immense love and trust for Central, and says, “Central is always a part of me.” This is why he has maintained a close relationship with the Foundation and why he feels it is important to give back. This scholarship is incredibly meaningful to Roger, and he says, “I do want to emphasize that my gift to Central High School is a direct reflection of God’s purpose and direction for my life.”
Roger’s decision to make this donation, though he thought carefully about it, was ultimately not a difficult one. He says, “When you make a decision like this, there are various factors involved. When they add up, the pluses outweigh the minuses, and in this case, there weren’t many minuses.” He feels inspired by teachers and staff at Central, principal Dionne Kirksey in particular, and by the efforts of the Foundation. He says Ms. Kirksey has a difficult job and she goes “unappreciated, like most principals and teachers around this country, but there is a support system there through the Foundation that is really significant and encouraging to me.”
Roger has many hopes for what will come of his donation. He says, “I hope it will benefit as many students as possible going forward, and I hope it will give them a jump-start to their college career.” He says that he also hopes that his donation encourages other people who have the ability to do the same. “Central, like any other inner-city school, needs the support of the alumni, so this is my opportunity to do that.” His pride in Central is palpable; “Central has been a vital part of producing leadership in the Omaha area, and that shouldn’t go unnoticed.”