The Brian Piccolo Award is the prestigious honor given to a NFL Chicago Bears rookie since 1970. The award was expanded in 1992 to also include a veteran football player. The Bears players vote amongst themselves for the rookie and veteran who best exemplify the courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and sense of humor of the late Brian Piccolo. Piccolo was a running back for the Chicago Bears from 1966 until his untimely death from embryonic cell carcinoma on June 16, 1970, at age 26.