In memory of Brian Piccolo, each season since 1970 a Bears rookie has been honored with the Brian Piccolo Award. In 1992, the award was expanded to include a veteran as well. The Piccolo Award is a special honor voted on by Bears players only, who select a teammate they feel best exemplifies the courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and sense of humor of the late Brian Piccolo.
In all, 55 different Bears have won the award including several on the current roster: Matt Forte (2008), Devin Hester (2006), Charles Tillman (2003 and ’08), Brian Urlacher (2000 and ’07), Johnny Knox (2009), and J'Marcus Webb (2010). The 2011 Piccolo Awards were held on April 24, 2012. Winners were Stephen Paea (Rookie) and Nick Roach (Veteran). Congratulations to both from the entire Piccolo family!
Brian Piccolo's story is embraced by football fans everywhere. He signed with the Bears as a free agent out of Wake Forest in 1965-the same year Hall of Famer Gale Sayers was drafted. The two became roommates, and Piccolo’s support of Sayers through a devastating knee injury, as well as Sayers’ devotion when Piccolo was stricken with cancer in 1969, became the stuff of legend. Piccolo was in his fourth season when a chest x-ray revealed a malignancy. Several months later on June 16, 1970, he died at age 26 from embryonal cell carcinoma.
Following his death, the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund was established and proceeds were sent to the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York for research on embryonal cell carcinoma. At the time Piccolo died, the disease was 100% fatal, but today the cure rate is more than 50%.
With that victory, proceeds from the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund now benefits cancer research at Rush University Medical Center and provides support to the Clearbrook Center for the developmentally disabled in Arlington Heights.
Since turning its attention to the fight against breast cancer, the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund, as well as all those who have generously joined in its efforts, has raised over $8 million for research since 1991. The fund remains active and welcomes the interest of contributions of others who share its commitment to breast cancer research and to the memory of Brian Piccolo.
2010 - J'Marcus Webb (OT), Anthony Adams (DT)
2009- Olin Kreutz (C), Johnny Knox (WR)
2008 - Charles Tillman (CB), Matt Forte (RB)
2007 - Brian Urlacher (LB), Greg Olsen (TE)
2006 - Olin Kreutz (C), Devin Hester (PR/KR)
2005 - John Tait (T), Chris Harris (S)
2004 - Olin Kreutz (C), Tommie Harris (DT)
2003 - Olin Kreutz (C), Charles Tillman (CB)
2002 - Phillip Daniels (DE), Alex Brown (DE)
2001 - James Williams (T), Anthony Thomas (RB)
2000 - Clyde Simmons (DE), Brian Urlacher (LB)
1999 - Marcus Robinson (WR), Jerry Azumah (DB)
1998 - Bobby Engram (WR), Tony Parrish (S)
1997 - Ryan Wetnight (TE), John Allred (TE), Van Hiles (S)
1996 - Chris Zorich (DT), Bobby Engram (WR)
1995 - Erik Kramer (QB), Rashaan Salaam (RB)
1994 - Shaun Gayle (S), Raymont Harris (RB)
1993 - Tom Waddle (WR), Myron Baker (LB), Todd Perry (T)
1992 - Mike Singletary (LB), Troy Auzenne (T)
1991 - Chris Zorich (DT)
1990 - Mark Carrier (S)
1989 - Trace Armstrong (DE)
1988 - James Thornton (TE), Mickey Pruitt (LB)
1987 - Ron Morris (WR)
1986 - Neal Anderson (RB)
1985 - Kevin Butler (K)
1984 - Shaun Gayle (DB)
1983 - Jim Covert (T)
1982 - Jim McMahon (QB)
1981 - Mike Singletary (LB)
1980 - Bob Fisher (TE)
1979 - Dan Hampton (DE)
1978 - John Skibinski (RB)
1977 - Ted Albrecht (T)
1976 - Brian Baschnagel (WR)
1975 - Roland Harper (RB)
1974 - Fred Pagac (TE)
1973 - Wally Chambers (DT)
1972 - Jim Osborne (DT)
1971 - Jerry Moore (S)
1970 - Glen Golloway (G)
