Bear Digest

Small Screen's Brian Piccolo Passes

James Caan had many roles in successful movies like The Godfather, Misery and Elf, but Bears fans will always remember him as Gale Sayers' friend and teammate in Brian's Song.

Gene Chamberlain

USA Today
In this story:

The actor who portrayed Bears running back Brian Piccolo in the original version of Brian's Song has died.

James Caan, possibly most well know for his role as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather, died on July 6 at the age of 82.

Caan actually was a quarterback at Michigan State during Duffy Daughterty's coaching era in 1956-57, experience that may have helped when he took on the role of playing Piccolo in the made-for-TV movie that touched hearts

Piccolo died of cancer at the age of 26 in 1970 after playing four seasons for the Bears. The movie is about Piccolo's friendship with the late Bears great Gale Sayers, the first interracial roommates in NFL history, and the impact of his fight against cancer.

The film first aired Nov. 30, 1971 on the Tuesday night ABC Movie of the Week. The movie remained a favorite through the years and in 2005 was voted No. 7 on Enterntainment Weekly's list of the top "guy-cry" films.

Real members of the Bears were in the film, including the late Doug Buffone. In a March, 2021 interview with Richard Roeper for the Sun-Times, Caan recalled how former Bears would pop by at his home when in Los Angeles.

"That was 50 years ago, holy s---," Caan told Roeper about Brian's Song. "Oh yeah, my boys, my Chicago boys. (Dick) Butkus, (Doug) Buffone, (Ed) O’Bradovich. They would break down my front door on a Saturday. They thought that was really funny. Seriously, theyd just pound it in. They wouldn't knock or anything."

Caan's co-star in the movie was Billy Dee Williams of Star Wars fame as Sayers. Williams tweeted out his own tribute to Caan after hearing of the actor's passing.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

Published
Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

Home/News