The Retired Numbers of the Chicago Bears and the Men Behind Them

CHICAGO - OCTOBER 04: A general view of a field goal by the Chicago Bears against the Detroit Lions on October 4, 2009 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears defeated the Lions 48-24. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO - OCTOBER 04: A general view of a field goal by the Chicago Bears against the Detroit Lions on October 4, 2009 at Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears defeated the Lions 48-24. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – AUGUST 10: A Chicago Bears helmet is seen in the bench area during a preseason game against the Denver Broncos at Soldier Field on August 10, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. The Broncos defeated the Bears 24-17. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – AUGUST 10: A Chicago Bears helmet is seen in the bench area during a preseason game against the Denver Broncos at Soldier Field on August 10, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. The Broncos defeated the Bears 24-17. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

Brian Piccolo

The story of Brian Piccolo is one that Bears’ fans know very well. Piccolo, a Wake Forrest product, was not drafted by any team in the NFL. Instead, he managed to gain a foothold on the Bears as a free agent.

His friendship with Gayle Sayers has been documented in the movie Brian’s Song and was often discussed by Sayers. Piccolo helped Sayers through his knee rehabilitation, acting as a motivator of sorts to help keep him on the right track. It worked and Sayers was back and ready to run.

But something ended up being wrong with Piccolo and he started to get sick. As it turns out, he had embryonal cell carcinoma. It ended up all over the inside of his body and he died. He was just 26 years old.

Out of respect for Piccolo, the team retired his number 41 jersey. They also paid for his medical bills. This shows the true “family” spirit of the Chicago Bears.