Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery and former defensive lineman Nick Williams have been named the 2019 Piccolo Award winners.
Bears players vote on the award, selecting a rookie and veteran teammate they feel "exemplifies the courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and sense of humor of the late Brian Piccolo." The award has been given to a Bears rookie every year since 1970 and to a Bears veteran since 1992.
Montgomery was the Bears' third-round pick in 2019 and rushed for 889 yards and six touchdowns. Williams, who signed with the Lions in the offseason, had a breakout season in 2019 � seven seasons after he was drafted. He had the first six sacks of his career, along with 42 tackles and nine quarterback hits.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the death of Piccolo, the Bears running back who died at age 26 from embryonal cell carcinoma.
Following his death, the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund was established and raised nearly $3 million for research on embryonal cell carcinoma. After significant advances were made toward curing that disease, funds were re-directed to benefit breast cancer research at Rush Medical Center and to provide support to the Clearbrook Center for the developmentally disabled in Arlington Heights. More than $7 million has been raised for local research, according to the Bears.
The Bears are launching a special fundraising campaign in honor of the 50th anniversary of Piccolo's death at chicagobears.com/allfourone.
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