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