Running back Brian Piccolo played for the Chicago Bears for only four seasons, and his statistics were not remarkable. But the fact that Piccolo's number, 41, is one of the few retired in the Bears' long history, and that the Piccolo name is still revered by football fans everywhere, is a testimony to the remarkable values Brian brought both to the game and to life.

Brian was just 26 years old when he died of a rare form of cancer, embryonal cell carcinoma, on June 16, 1970. He left behind his wife, Joy, and daughters Lori, Traci and Kristi. He also left a legacy of love that was recounted in Jeannie Morris' best-selling biography, Brian Piccolo, A Short Season, and in the film, "Brian's Song."

Born in Pittsfield, Mass., on October 31, 1943, Brian grew up in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., where his football performance led to a scholarship at Wake Forest University. During his senior year there, he led the nation in rushing yardage, carrying the ball 252 times for more than 1,000 yards.

Passed up in the NFL draft, the All-American halfback signed with the Bears as a free agent in 1965 -- the same year Gale Sayers was drafted. The two became roommates, and Brian's support of Gale through a devastating knee injury, as well as Gale's devotion to Brian when he was stricken with cancer, became the stuff of legends.

Following his death, Brian's friends in Chicago established the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund to raise money for cancer research. It is a fitting legacy for a man who battled his illness the way he played football: with the heart of a champion, refusing to give up until the final whistle blew.