Brian Piccolo Remembered On 50th Anniversary Of His Death

CHICAGO — It has now been a half century since the death of Brian Piccolo, a beloved former Chicago Bears running back who developed cancer and died at age 26. A car parade through the streets of the North Beverly neighborhood of where he lived while playing with the Bears in the late 1960s honored his memory on June 16.

Piccolo, whose friendship with teammate Gale Sayers was immortalized in the classic 1971 TV movie "Brian's Song," and his family were members of Christ the King Church at 92nd and Hamilton, where a number of cars lined up for the Tuesday afternoon parade organized by the Beverly Area Planning Association. Neighborhood residents decorated their cars and one person rode with the parade on his bike, BAPA Communications Director Grace Kuikman said.

Father Larry Sullivan at CK said a few words about Piccolo, his career, being part of the neighborhood and his death, which occurred less than one year after developing cancer, embryonal cell carcinoma, while he was the Bears' starting fullback.

Piccolo's daughters, Traci and Kristi, were also at the BAPA parade with their children and both said a few words.

They "were very touched by the community coming out to remember their father on the 50th anniversary of his death," Kuikman said.

Piccolo spent four years in the NFL, all with the Bears, and rushed for 927 yards with four career touchdowns. His number 41 is retired by the team and the Brian Piccolo Award is given annually to one rookie and one veteran of the Bears who best exemplify "the courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and sense of humor" of Piccolo. Running back David Montgomery was recently announced as a 2020 winner of the award.