David Montgomery, Nick Williams Win Piccolo Awards

Fifty years to the day of Brian Piccolo's death, the rookie Bears running back and former Bears defensive end are honored by the team with the annual award

Appropriately, a running back won the Brian Piccolo Award 50 years after the death of the former Chicago Bears running back.

Running back David Montgomery was the rookie winner while former Chicago Bears defensive end Nick Williams was named the veteran recipient of the Piccolo award.

Piccolo was a Bears running back who died exactly 50 years ago June 16 in 1970 due to cancer and has been immortalized in movies and in the Piccolo Foundation's drive to combat the disease which ended his life.

Three of the last four rookie award winners have been running backs. Tarik Cohen was the 2018 award winner and Jordan Howard the 2017 winner.

When Howard won the award in 2017, it marked the first time since 2008 a running back had been named the Bears' rookie award winner.

Between 1970 and 1987 the award was given only to rookies. Then both a rookie and veteran award began to be awarded.

"I just want to thank you, first and foremost," Montgomery told the Piccolo family, media and teammates during a conference call on Tuesday. "I want to thank you guys for giving me this honor, to be able to receive such a prestigious award. And just to be able to be nominated by my teammates to allow them to know that I have high character and I’m here for each and every one of them on and off the field.

"And I just want to let you all know that I'm grateful and I'm thankful to receive this award. And I’m here to make this organization and to be able to carry this Piccolo Award with me every step of the way and let everyone know that I can carry the torch and that I'm grateful and I'm thankful."

The award is given to the Bears starter and rookie who best exemplify the courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and sense of humor displayed by Piccolo.

Piccolo was a former Bears running back who died at the age of 26 from a form of cancer now far more treatable. More than 50% of patients are cured now b ut at that point it was 100% fatal.

Piccolo was an undrafted free agent from Wake Forest who was signed by the Bears in 1965, who went from what was known then as the "taxi squad" and nowadays the practice squad, to backup for Gale Sayers. He replaced Sayers in 1968 after a season-ending knee injury and in 1969 became a starter as an undersized fullback.

During the ninth game of the 1969 season Piccolo came out due to a breathing problem. A chest x-ray later revealed he had cancer. Further examination determined he had an embryonal cell carcinoma, a form of testicular cancer that had already spread to his chest.

Montgomery was the third-round Bears draft pick last season who was actually their top draft pick, and he played in every game while starting eight and ran for 889 yards on 242 carries with six touchdowns. He also made 25 receptions for 185 yards and a TD.

Williams has since gone to the Detroit Lions as a free agent but had a smash start to his 2019 season after filling in for injured Akiem Hicks.

Williams had been a journeyman with no starts, no sacks and only 18 total tackles in his first four NFL seasons but last year broke out with six sacks and 42 tackles, including five for loss.

"When I found out I was receiving the Brian Piccolo Award, it was a huge honor," Williams told Larry Mayer of Chicagobears.com. "It exemplifies teamwork, courage, loyalty, dedication and just a sense of humor. Having a sense of humor is something that stuck with me throughout the locker room. I've always cracked jokes with guys and tried to look on the bright side of things. When things may not have been going our way, I tried to lift them up, especially the defensive line room.

"I think being a locker room guy exemplifies the award and it's a huge honor for me to even join this list of guys. Even one of the most recent winners, Akiem Hicks, one of my good friends. I know what type of player and teammate he was. It's just a huge honor."

The cancer research fund set up in Piccolo's name has raised $10 million toward cancer research over the years.

"We've been so lucky and really blessed that we've been able to raise millions of dollars for cancer research in the hopes that we can help other people so that they don't have to go through what we had to through at such a young age," said Traci Piccolo, Brian Piccolo's daughter. "It's been an amazing 50 years (of) things that we've helped to accomplish for cancer research but that fight is far from over and we're going to keep fighting until nobody has to suffer anymore like we did."

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