 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Brian Piccolo Award" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(May 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
TheBrian Piccolo Award is an honor that is given to players of theChicago Bears. The award is given to one rookie and one veteran per season who best exemplifies the courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and sense of humor of the lateBrian Piccolo, a running back for the Bears from 1966 until his untimely death from cancer on June 16, 1970, at age 26.[1]
Brian Piccolo went un-drafted in the 1965 NFL Draft despite being named the ACC Player of the Year atWake Forest (1964), where he led the nation with points (111) and yards rushing (1,044) as a senior. In 1965, Piccolo tried out for the Chicago Bears as a free agent and made the team. He progressed from the practice squad to the back-up of starting tailbackGale Sayers by 1967. For the 1969 season, Piccolo was named the starting fullback for the Chicago Bears.
On November 16, during the ninth game of the 1969 season inAtlanta, Piccolo voluntarily removed himself from the game due to extreme difficulty breathing on the field. When the team returned toChicago, he received a medical examination and chestx-ray that revealed amalignancy. He was then diagnosed with embryonal cell carcinoma, an aggressive form oftesticular cancer that had already spread to his chest cavity. After the diagnosis, Piccolo underwent surgery atSloan-Kettering inNew York City to remove the tumor. He had another surgery to remove his left lung and pectoral muscle in April 1970. Later in June of the same year, Piccolo started to feel chest pain and was re-admitted to the hospital, where doctors determined that the cancer had spread to other organs, most notably his liver. Piccolo died on Tuesday, June 16, 1970, at the age of 26. His courageous battle was later portrayed in the classic 1971 TV movieBrian's Song, starringJames Caan as Piccolo.
When Piccolo died in 1970, embryonal cell carcinoma was 100% fatal. With advances in medicine over the years, more than 50% of patients with the disease are now cured.
The Brian Piccolo Award was originally awarded the same year as Piccolo's death (1970) to a Chicago Bears rookie who "best exemplifies the courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and sense of humor of the late Brian Piccolo".
In 1990, the Chicago Bears commissioned Chicago native and artist, Tom McKee, to design and sculpt the Brian Piccolo Award that is currently awarded. Each year this bronze sculpture is given to a Bears rookie and a veteran player (since 1992).
The Brian Piccolo Award ceremony is held at Halas Hall each year, where Bears centerOlin Kreutz and wide receiverJohnny Knox received the 2009 trophy. Previous award winners includeBrian Urlacher (2000, 2007),Charles Tillman (2003, 2008, 2013),Tommie Harris (2004),Devin Hester (2006),Greg Olsen (2007),Matt Forte (2008, 2015).Nick Roach andStephen Paea were the recipients of the Award in 2012,[2] while Tillman,Shea McClellin andJulius Peppers received the Award in 2013.[3] The following year,Jordan Mills andJosh McCown were awarded, butJay Cutler accepted McCown's award, due to McCown joining theTampa Bay Buccaneers after the 2013 season.[4]
| |
| Franchise | |
| Records | |
| Stadiums | |
| Culture |
|
| Lore | |
| Rivalries | |
| Retired numbers | |
| Key personnel |
|
| Division championships (21) | |
| Conference championships (4) | |
| League championships (9) | |
| Media |
|
| Current league affiliations |
|
