LAKE FOREST, Ill. (WGN) — The Chicago Bears announced T.J. Edwards and Rome Odunze as the team’s annual recipients of the Brian Piccolo Award on Tuesday.
The Brian Piccolo Award is an honor voted on by Bears players to recognize teammates who best exemplify courage, loyalty, teamwork and dedication that defined the legacy of former Bear Brian Piccolo.
Established in 1970 following Piccolo’s passing, the award originally honored one rookie each season. In 1992, it was expanded to include a veteran player, as well. Today, the award remains one of the most meaningful honors within the Bears organization and is symbolized by a bronze sculpture designed by Chicago artist Tom McKee in 1990.
Edwards started all 17 games for the Bears in 2024. He totaled a career-high 12 tackles for loss and four sacks, securing the second-most tackles on the team last season (129). Over the last three years, Edwards has recorded 441 total tackles – the second-most among all NFC defenders over the last three seasons, all the while not missing a single start.
In his first season with the Bears (2023), Edwards led Chicago with 153 tackles, the third-most tackles in a single season in franchise history. This is Edwards’ second-straight Brian Piccolo Award.
Odunze appeared in all 17 games for the Bears as a rookie in 2024. Selected with the No. 9-overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Odunze reeled in 54 catches for 734 yards and three touchdowns in his first NFL season. Odunze’s 734 receiving yards were the fourth-most by a rookie in franchise history during a season where he also became the first Bears rookie to record multiple 100-yard receiving games since 1983.
Odunze hauled in two TD catches in Week 14, becoming the first Bears rookie to register multiple receiving scores in a single game since 2001.
Brian Piccolo’s Legacy
Brian Piccolo joined the Bears in 1965 as an undrafted free agent after leading the nation in scoring and rushing yards during his senior year at Wake Forest, where he was named ACC Player of the Year in 1964.
Despite not being selected in the NFL Draft, Piccolo earned a spot on the Bears roster and worked his way from the practice squad to backing up star tailback Gale Sayers. Eventually, Piccolo became the team’s starting fullback in 1969.
Late in the 1969 season, Piccolo began experiencing health issues that led to him being diagnosed with embryonal cell carcinoma, an aggressive form of cancer. Team officials said he faced his illness with the same courage and resilience that defined his football career.
Piccolo died on June 16, 1970, at the age of 26. Outside of being remembered for his accomplishments on and around the football field, Piccolo’s story and friendship with Gale Sayers were later adapted for the big screen in the award-winning film Brian’s Song.
At the time of Piccolo’s death, embryonal cell carcinoma was considered 100% percent fatal. Thanks to advancements in medical treatment over the years, survival rates have significantly improved, with more than 95% of patients now surviving the disease.
His legacy continues through the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund, which has raised more than $10 million to support cancer research and community health initiatives. What began as a tribute to a teammate has grown into what the Bears call a force for hope, funding advancements in testicular and breast cancer research at Memorial Sloan Kettering and Rush Medical Center, along with supporting individuals with developmental disabilities through the Clearbrook Center.