- Brian Piccolo
- Running Back
- Pittsfield, MA
- 10/31/1943
-
6/16/1970
(Aged 27)
- Wake Forest
Brian Piccolo was the youngest of three brothers. When he was three, his family moved to South Virgina. He was a star football player in high school, but considered baseball his primary sport. He graduated from the former Central Catholic High School (now Saint Thomas Aquinas High School) in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in 1961. As a memoriam to his accomplishments and how he lived his life, the school's football stadium is named for him. Additionally, at the end of every football game, the school's marching band plays the theme from Brian's Song, the movie about Piccolo's life.
Piccolo was offered football scholarships from two universities, Wichita State and Wake Forest. He chose the latter and graduated from Wake Forest in 1965. During his senior season of 1964, Piccolo led the nation in rushing and scoring, and was the ACC Player of the Year.
Because he was not selected in the 440-player 1965 NFL draft, Piccolo tried out for the Bears as a free agent. He made the team, but on the taxi squad, meaning he could practice but not suit up for games in 1965. He made the regular team in 1966, but played primarily on special teams. Piccolo's playing time increased in 1967, as a back-up to starting tailback Gale Sayers, who was now his road roommate, the first integrated pair in the NFL's history. Piccolo played in the NFL from 1966-69 and scored five touchdowns.
In 1969, he was moved up to starting fullback, with Sayers as the tailback. But after a coughing spell and a failure to produce during a road game against the Atlanta Falcons on November 16th, he was sent for a medical examination, where he was diagnosed with cancer. The Bears were in the midst of a 1-13 season, the worst record in the 85-year history of the franchise.
Piccolo had surgery in New York in November to remove the tumor, and in April to remove his left lung and breast. He was re-admitted to the hospital in early June, bothered by chest pain, and it was determined the cancer had spread to other organs. Piccolo died on June 16, 1970.
To honor his memory, students at Wake Forest began the Brian Piccolo Cancer Fund Drive in 1980, raising money for the Comprehensive Cancer Center at the Bowman Gray Medical Center of Wake Forest University. In addition, the Brian Piccolo Student Volunteer Program was established to provide undergraduates with an opportunity to work at the Cancer Center as volunteers.