View source for George Saimes

{{Short description|American football player (1941–2013)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox gridiron football biography
| name          = George Saimes
| image         = George Saimes.jpg
| number        = 24, 26
| position      = [[Safety (gridiron football position)|Safety]]
| birth_date    = {{birth date|1941|9|1}}
| birth_place   = [[Canton, Ohio]], U.S.
| death_date    = {{death date and age|2013|3|8|1941|9|1}}
| death_place   = Canton, Ohio, U.S.
| height_ft     = 5
| height_in     = 11
| weight_lb     = 186
| high_school   = [[Lincoln High School (Canton, Ohio)|Lincoln]] (Canton, Ohio)
| college       = [[Michigan State Spartans football|Michigan St.]] (1959-1962)
| draftyear     = 1963
| draftround    = 6
| draftpick     = 71
| afldraftyear  = 1963
| afldraftround = 6
| afldraftpick  = 48
| pastteams    =
* [[Buffalo Bills]] ([[1963 American Football League season|1963]]–[[1969 American Football League season|1969]])
* [[Denver Broncos]] ({{NFL Year|1970|1972}})
| highlights    =
* 2× [[American Football League#AFL Championship Games|AFL champion]] ([[1964 American Football League Championship Game|1964]], [[1965 American Football League Championship Game|1965]])
* 3× First-team [[All-AFL]] ([[1964 All-AFL Team|1964]], [[1965 All-AFL Team|1965]], [[1967 All-AFL Team|1967]])
* 2× Second-team All-AFL ([[1966 All-AFL Team|1966]], [[1968 All-AFL Team|1968]])
* 5× [[American Football League All-Star games|AFL All-Star]] ([[AFL All-Star Game|1964]]–[[AFL All-Star Game|1968]])
* [[American Football League All-Time Team|AFL All-Time Team]]
* [[Buffalo Bills#Wall of Fame|Buffalo Wall of Fame]]
* [[Buffalo Bills#50th Anniversary Team|Buffalo Bills 50th Anniversary Team]]
* Consensus [[College Football All-America Team|All-American]] ([[1962 College Football All-America Team|1962]])
* Third-team All-American ([[1961 College Football All-America Team|1961]])
* 2× First-team [[List of All-Big Ten Conference football teams|All-Big Ten]] ([[1961 All-Big Ten Conference football team|1961]]–[[1962 All-Big Ten Conference football team|1962]])
| statleague    = NFL/AFL
| statlabel1    = [[Interception]]s
| statvalue1    = 22
| statlabel2    = [[Fumble]] recoveries
| statvalue2    = 4
| statlabel3    = [[Quarterback sack|Sack]]s
| statvalue3    = 9.0
| pfr           = SaimGe00
}}

'''George Thomas Saimes''' (September 1, 1941 – March 8, 2013) was an American professional [[American football|football]] player who was a [[defensive back]] for the [[Buffalo Bills]] of the [[American Football League]] (AFL). He played [[college football]] as a [[Fullback (gridiron football)|fullback]] for the [[Michigan State Spartans football|Michigan State Spartans]]. He won [[American Football League playoffs|AFL championships]] with the Bills in [[1964 American Football League season|1964]] and [[1965 American Football League season|1965]].

Saimes was born and died in Canton, Ohio.  In 1964, he had a career-high six [[Interception|interceptions]] and earned the first of his five [[American Football League All-Star game|American Football League All-Star Game]] appearances. He made ''[[The Sporting News]]'' All-AFL Team in 1964, 1965 and 1967.  Former Pro Football writer and president of the [[Pro Football Writers of America|Pro Football Writers Association]], [[Larry Felser]], calls Saimes "the finest open-field tackler in the league."

He achieved All-American Football League honors five times, and is a member of the  [[American Football League All-Time Team]], the Buffalo Bills' Wall of Fame, and the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame.

Saimes went on to be a professional football [[Scout (sport)|scout]] with the [[NFL Scouting Combine|Blesto V Combine]], the [[Tampa Bay Buccaneers]], the [[Washington Commanders|Washington Redskins]], and the [[Houston Texans]]. Saimes died in Canton of [[leukemia]] on March 8, 2013.<ref>[https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/9034905/former-buffalo-bills-star-george-saimes-dies-71 ESPN Former Buffalo Bills star George Saimes dies]</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of American Football League players]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Chiefs1963DraftPicks}}
{{Buffalo Bills}}
{{1964 Buffalo Bills}}
{{1965 Buffalo Bills}}
{{AFL1960s}}
{{Buffalo Bills 50th Season All-time Team}}
{{Buffalo Bills Wall of Fame}}
{{Los Angeles Rams 1963 draft navbox}}
{{1962 College Football Consensus All-Americans}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saimes, George}}
[[Category:1941 births]]
[[Category:2013 deaths]]
[[Category:American football safeties]]
[[Category:Buffalo Bills players]]
[[Category:Denver Broncos players]]
[[Category:Michigan State Spartans football players]]
[[Category:Washington Redskins executives]]
[[Category:All-American college football players]]
[[Category:American Football League All-Star players]]
[[Category:American Football League All-Time Team]]
[[Category:Players of American football from Canton, Ohio]]
[[Category:Deaths from leukemia in Ohio]]
[[Category:American Football League players]]