The Bears on Tuesday honored linebacker T.J. Edwards and tight end Colston Loveland as the 2025 winners of the prestigious Brian Piccolo Award during a ceremony at Halas Hall.
The honor has been given to a Bears rookie since 1970 and was expanded in 1992 to include a veteran. Bears players vote for teammates who best exemplify the courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and sense of humor of Brian Piccolo, a Bears running back who died from embryonal cell carcinoma on June 16, 1970, at the age of 26.
Piccolo's valiant fight against the disease and his close friendship with fellow Bears running back Gale Sayers was chronicled in the classic TV movie "Brian's Song" in 1971.
Bears coach Ben Johnson presented the awards to Edwards and Loveland.
"What this award stands for still matters deeply in our building, and we don't take that lightly," Johnson said. "When we talk about this award, we're really talking about a standard, a standard set by Brian Piccolo, a man whose impact went far beyond the field and carried forward through his bond with Gale Sayers.
"Their story is one of courage, loyalty, friendship and selflessness. It's a reminder that what we build in this game—those relationships and that brotherhood—goes far beyond the stat line or the final score. And that's why this award matters so much, because it doesn't come from the coaches and it doesn't come from the media; it comes from the locker room, it comes from teammates, the men who see each other every day, who know what it takes, who understand what it means to show up when it's not easy but when it gets hard."
Edwards became the first Bears player to win the award three straight years. He's been voted the veteran recipient in each of his three seasons with his hometown team.
"Three years in a row doesn't happen by accident," Johnson said. "T.J., what you've done is set the tone for what it means to be a professional in this building. I can now say with the new guys coming in 'just do what he does, be like him and good things will happen.'
"Your consistency, your preparation, your toughness and most importantly your humility have earned the respect of everyone in the locker room. You don't seek attention, but you've earned it. You don't talk about leadership; you live it. And the fact that your teammates continue to choose you for this honor says everything about who you are and what you represent. You're exactly what this award stands for."
Edwards led the Bears with 155 tackles in 2023 and ranked second with 129 in 2024. After missing seven games due to injuries last season, he returned for the playoffs but sustained a fractured fibula in the wild card win over the Packers.
Edwards described winning the Piccolo Award as "truly an honor," adding: "I do not take it lightly whatsoever to be associated with this legacy. I grew up here. I grew up watching what's happening in this building, and to be a part of it, it means all the more.
"Why I fell in love with this game was just the respect of my peers and the respect of my teammates," Edwards said. "To get something that is solely based on what your teammates think of you, it's incredible. I just try to try to be myself and try to talk to everyone because it's nice to come into work when you actually know and care for the people around you. That's the kind of place that's been built here."
Selected by the Bears with the 10th overall pick in last year's draft, Loveland blossomed into a key contributor in 2025, consistently producing impact plays throughout an impressive rookie season. The Idaho native caught 58 passes for 713 yards and six touchdowns, becoming the first rookie to lead the Bears in receiving yards since Willie Gault in 1983 and the first rookie tight end to do so since Hall of Famer Mike Ditka in 1961.
"For a young player to come into this league, into this locker room, and make the kind of impression that earns the respect of veteran teammates, that speaks volumes," Johnson said. "This league is not easy on rookies. There's a learning curve, there's pressure, there's adversity. But what your teammates have seen in you is someone who approaches the game the right way, someone who listens, who works, who competes and who puts the team first. You earned your stripes this season. When we needed you the most, you delivered."
Loveland was grateful to receive the Piccolo Award.
"It really is an honor to accept this award," he said. "To be associated with a name that stands for courage, loyalty and selflessness, that really means a lot. I feel like I have similar values. And to get it from your teammates, that means even more because you're sweating with them, you're bleeding with them, you're crying with them."
Piccolo joined the Bears in 1965 as an undrafted free agent after leading the nation with 111 points and 1,044 yards rushing as a senior at Wake Forest. He was in his fifth NFL season when a chest x-ray revealed a malignancy. Piccolo passed away several months later.
Following his death, the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund was established. Proceeds were sent to the Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York until 1991 when the Piccolo Fund changed its focus to support cancer research at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.
At the time of Piccolo's death, embryonal cell carcinoma was considered 100% percent fatal. Thanks to advancements in medical treatment over the years, survival rates have significantly improved, with more than 95% of patients now surviving the disease.
Piccolo's legacy continues through the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund, which has raised more than $10 million to support cancer research and community health initiatives. The fund has contributed to advancements in testicular and breast cancer research at institutions including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Rush University Medical Center, while also supporting individuals with developmental disabilities through Clearbrook.
Bears vice president Patrick McCaskey emceed Tuesday's ceremony. Chairman George H. McCaskey, President and CEO Kevin Warren and general manager Ryan Poles were also in attendance.
Members of the Piccolo family on hand included Joy Piccolo O'Connell, Brian Piccolo's widow, and two of their three daughters, Traci Piccolo Dolby and Kristi Piccolo. Traci and her son, Jack Dolby, spoke at Tuesday's ceremony.
Previous winners of the Piccolo Award also in attendance were Anthony Adams, Ted Albrecht, Roland Harper, Jim Osborne, John Skibinski, James Thornton, and Chris Zorich.
