on June 16, 1970. Brian’s Song is a love story that transcended race, taking camaraderie, loyalty, friendship and teamwork to an emotional level that usually results in tears.

Scouts believed the 5-foot-11, 190-pound back wasn't big or fast enough. “I didn’t see the [original] movie before taking the part,” said Maher. shy and determined Match. He and Billy got along so well. “He has the heart of a giant,” Sayers said in words repeated by Williams, “and that rare form of courage that allows him to kid himself and his opponent, cancer. with Sayers, in 1966.

Tonight, when you hit your knees, please It was an experience that I won’t forget.”. Piccolo had been talking with the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Colts, but chose the Bears because owner George Halas offered him the most money. In the ninth game of 1968, Sayers suffered a ruptured cartilage and two torn ligaments in his right knee, ending his season.

"There's no question that Brian Piccolo's story was amplified by the movie. Gossett’s Emmy-winning role in the 1977 telemovie blockbuster made him a star. "Fortunately for Bears fans and

I love Brian Piccolo, and I'd On April 9, 1970, his left lung and left breast were removed.

"I don't like practice," Piccolo said in his biography A Short Season, which was published in 1971, a year after his death. He truly liked people.".
The Bears honor his memory by presenting the Brian Piccolo award each year to the rookie and veteran who best exemplify the courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and sense of humor displayed by Piccolo. In the next game, Piccolo had the only 100-yard rushing performance of his career, carrying 21 times for 112 yards in the Bears' 23-17 victory over the New Orleans Saints.

Sayers not only returned to the team, he become a star player, but in time it became Sayers' turn to help Piccolo when Brian learned that a lingering illness was actually cancer. In six games as a starter, Piccolo gained 450 yards. As a side note, Gossett became depressed over missing his “shot.” But producer David L. Wolper promised Gossett the first great role that came along.

About Nielsen Measurement. He scored four touchdowns. “When I auditioned, and I did audition for the film with ABC, I auditioned with Lou Gossett [Jr.]. In the mid-'60s, when Sayers joined the Bears, he was not welcomed by all members of the team, but soon developed a friendly rivalry with Piccolo, a running back who was gunning for the same place on the team as Sayers. cancer, football, friendship, injury, racial-tension, rehabilitation [physical therapy], terminal-illness, training-camp. He had his left lung and pectoral muscle removed. When you were shooting movies for television in those days, you didn’t have a lot of lay-around time. “I don’t have any plans to celebrate the anniversary of the movie — but you never know,” said Sayers. The following season, Piccolo was moved to fullback, enabling the two to start in the backfield together. Created by.

pain, and it was determined the cancer had spread to other organs. At a ceremony in New York, Sayers gave an emotional speech saying there was somebody more deserving of the award.

Brian's Song. And Billy Dee Williams and James Caan, who were relatively unknown when they assumed the roles of Sayers and Piccolo, were catapulted into superstardom. Based on William Blinn’s adaptation of Sayers’ 1971 autobiography I Am Third, sales of the autobiography soared after the movie aired as The ABC Movie of the Week. Just mentioning his name offers us a reminder that each day can't be taken Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Really embarrassed.". Two days later, Piccolo took a chest X-ray. ”. He's a veteran journalist who has covered every major sport, and many minor ones. Test. Myron Rolle: NFL safety-turned-doctor is concerned about COVID-19 in sports Read now After Gossett tore his Achilles tendon, Pace recalls reading the part again with several actors. The reaction to the movie was so phenomenal that it was later shown in theaters by Columbia Pictures. It’s a very strong story, one with a lot of feeling. He has the mental attitude that makes me proud to have a friend who spells out the word courage 24 hours a day of his life. Joseph had previously driven a Greyhound bus and operated a driving school in Massachusetts. Piccolo was re-admitted to the hospital in early June, bothered by chest But in his senior season, he blossomed into a star, running for 1,044 yards on 252 carries (a 4.1-yard average) and scoring 111 points on 17 touchdowns and nine extra points. “A lot of people ask me if I did, but I didn’t. ”Billy and I had worked together before on a series where we played boyfriend-girlfriend. disappointed and embarrassed. He had finished a series of cobalt treatments and doctors said he could spend a few weeks at home, then return to the hospital for more treatment.
Six weeks later, Sayers, who had recovered from his injuries to win the NFL rushing title, was honored with the George Halas Award as the league's most courageous player for the 1969 season.

became a symbol of courage. "They say that people who like themselves like other people, and Brian was never short on self confidence. "He has the heart of a giant and that rare form of courage that allows him to

And James, he was just handsome, funny, an incredible personality. “Maybe I will watch it again with my family for old times’ sake. like all of you to love him, too.

"He has Halas had other ideas, and Piccolo spent the season

On November 16 in Atlanta, after scoring a fourth-quarter touchdown in a 48-31 loss to the Falcons, he removed himself from the game, bothered by chest pains and that persistent cough. In a movie filled with emotional moments, one that stands out is when Sayers is presented with the George S. Halas Award as the most courageous player in professional football at the Professional Football Writers annual dinner in New York. “[I learned about having] love for your teammates. © 2020 ESPN Internet Ventures. In late November against the Dallas Cowboys, he sprained an ankle, but after spending his career as a backup, Piccolo was determined to remain in the lineup. She said her screen test with Williams was outstanding and he clinched the role by giving a great speech. The Bears signed him as a free agent.

JAMES CAAN (41) AND BILLY DEE WILLIAMS (40) WITH CHICAGO BEARS PLAYERS, “Here’s a fact that many people don’t know,” said Pace. About six years later, Wolper kept his word and cast Gossett as Fiddler in Roots.

Terms in this set (45) Brian Piccolo. ask God to love him.". Both face the competition that comes with vying for the same position.

She was the best teenager going. Learn. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and Safety Information/Your California Privacy Rights/Do Not Sell My Info/Children's Online Privacy Policy are applicable to you. “Do I remember it? Daryl Bell is the assistant news editor and columnist for The Philadelphia Tribune. This nonfiction screenplay takes us through their lives together, their struggles with racial tensions, and a personal battle with cancer.

Now, thanks to research, more men have been diagnosed and cured of testicular cancer. “We liked each other [as a cast],” said Pace. Piccolo began chemotherapy treatments and spent Christmas at home with his wife and three young daughters. PLAY. “I was in love with Shelley [Fabares], who portrayed Joy Piccolo, Brian’s wife. He began coughing early in the season. overconfident and talkative died at the age of 26 sang his college fight song in front of his team was #2 in high school. the mental attitude that makes me proud to have a friend who spells out the

Going through something together. Brian’s Song is a love story that transcended race, taking camaraderie, loyalty, friendship and teamwork to an emotional level that usually results in tears.

It was the first time that men actually cried in front of other people. playing on special teams, running from scrimmage only three times. Gale Sayers. “That’s who got the role and he was magnificent.”. At the height of the civil rights movement, these two opposites developed a loving friendship while competing for the same job: starting halfback for the Chicago Bears. There was even a major premiere in Chicago. In 1968, when Sayers tore ligaments in his right knee, it was Piccolo who inspired him through a grueling rehabilitation. What are the complications that Brian and Gale face in Brian's SOng? Based in part on the autobiography of Gale Sayers, an Football Hall of Fame inductee and one of the finest halfbacks in the history of the game, this made-for-TV drama recounts the true story of Sayers (Mekhi Phifer) and his friendship with fellow Chicago Bears player Brian Piccolo (Sean Maher). Sayers, black and from the University of Kansas, was a quiet one. Pace, who at 75 is charming and personable, said there was another reason that movie was a hit. Though named Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year, no NFL team chose him in the draft on Nov. 28, 1964. That's not exactly what you'd call being in the right place at the right time.".

Two weeks later, the Bears organized a press conference at his home and Piccolo announced his intent to continue playing football. Although Piccolo led the nation in rushing and scoring as a senior at Wake Forest in 1964, beating out two-time All-American Sayers among others, he wasn't drafted. An Entertainment Weekly poll lists Brian’s Song as the seventh-best ”guy-cry” flicks of all time. The latest and best from The Undefeated — straight to your inbox, “It may have been the first time that kids ever saw their fathers cry.”, “Sayers and Piccolo were the first, a black man and a white man, to room together on the Bears.”. becoming a great NFL running back. Interest-Based Ads. "In my case, I happened to be a running back and they happened to draft Gale Sayers the same year.

Piccolo was a white running back from Wake Forest University who led the nation in rushing and scoring as a senior in 1964. In Piccolo’s case, cancerous cells had metastasized to his chest. Despite being the ACC Player of the Year in 1964, Piccolo was considered undersized at 6 feet, 205 pounds. There is a lot of lessons that can be learned from it.

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