What were Brian Piccolo's last words?

Brian Piccolo's last words were, "Can you believe it, Joy? Can you believe this s***?" As talented a player as Gale Sayers was, he never played in a post-season game, as the Bears didn't reach the playoffs at any point during his professional career.

What type of cancer did Brian Piccolo have?

The ultimate diagnosis was embryonal cell carcinoma, a rare type of testicular cancer. Piccolo underwent treatment at New York's Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center where, in November 1969, surgeons removed the tumor and part of his lung, where the cancer had also spread.

What was Brian Piccolo's actual illness?

Remembering Piccolo 50 years after his passing

Tuesday marks the 50th anniversary of Brian Piccolo's death. The fullback/running back passed away due to embryonal cell carcinoma on June 16, 1970 at the age of 26 after playing four seasons with the Bears.

What is the Brian Piccolo story?

The film Brian's Song, loosely based on Gale Sayers' autobiography, tells the story of the friendship between Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers and their time together while playing football for the Chicago Bears, up until Piccolo's death.

Did Brian Piccolo's widow remarry?

Joy Piccolo remarried three years after Brian's death and she and husband Rick O'Connell continue to work tirelessly for the foundation. She is president of the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Foundation, founded after the death of 26-year-old Piccolo on June 16, 1970.

Who was Brian Piccolo's best friend?

WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) - Chicago Bears Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers died Wednesday at the age of 77. For all that he did on the football field, he is also known for his friendship with teammate Brian Piccolo. Their friendship was depicted in the 1971 movie “Brian's Song”.

Is Brian's Song a true story?

Based on a portion of Sayers' autobiography “I Am Third,” “Brian's Song” told the story of the friendship between Sayers (played by Billy Dee Williams) and Brian Piccolo (James Caan). The men met as rookies on the Chicago Bears and became the first interracial roommates in the NFL.

What was Brian Piccolo's nickname?

Brian calls Gale "Magic" but his nickname (given to him in college) was "The Kansas Comet". Perhaps "Magic" was a personal nickname Piccolo had for Sayers.

Is Brian's Song accurate?

In Real Life: Although "Brian's Song" is based on a chapter in Gale Sayers' "I Am Third," Sayers never claims that he and Piccolo were as close as the movie suggests. Sayers says they came to like each other very much, were good friends, and did hang out together.

What was Brian Piccolo worth when he died?

Brian Piccolo net worth: Brian Piccolo was an American professional football player who had a net worth of $50 thousand at the time of his death (adjusted for inflation). Brian Piccolo was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts in October 1943 and passed away in June 1970.

Where is Gale's buried?

Perhaps the most special honor came last Saturday at Kansas, where the Jayhawks unveiled an 8-foot-tall Sayers statue outside the stadium, a ceremony originally planned for last April until COVID-19 interfered. Sayers will be buried at Forest Lawn Cemetery, and his wife would like to hold a proper memorial service.

How many surgeries did Brian Piccolo have?

The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York was the best place for Piccolo because his cancer was so rare. He underwent three major operations, as well as chemotherapy and radiation, over the next half-year, until his death in June 1970.

Where are Brian Piccolo's daughters?

Traci Piccolo Dolby, Brian Piccolo's daughter, is 53 and lives in suburban Winnetka but back when her dad, No. 41, died, she was only 3.

Who died from Brian's Song?

Piccolo dies with his wife by his side. The movie ends with a flashback of Piccolo and Sayers running through the park, while Halas narrates that Piccolo died at age 26 and is remembered not for how he died but for how he lived.

When did Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers meet?

But for all that, the 1965 game is best remembered, when remembered at all, as the place where Gale Sayers met Brian Piccolo. That meeting is recounted in the opening scene of “Brian's Song,” the 1971 made-for-TV movie that tells their story.

Who did Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers play for?

Despite the fondly remembered movie that was spawned by their friendship, Gale Sayers and Brian Piccolo weren't exactly close during their early years as Chicago Bears teammates in the 1960s.

Is Joy Piccolo still living?

He died at age 26 from embryonal cell carcinoma, a form of germ cell testicular cancer that had spread to his chest cavity after first being diagnosed in his chest. In 2001, a remake of Brian's Song was released, which starred Piccolo as the lead character.

Where is Joy Piccolo today?

In the present day, Joy lives outside Chicago and Marco Island with her husband. She is still actively involved with the Piccolo Foundation, which raises millions of dollars for cancer research.