Its the true story of a special relationship between two professional football players, gale sayers billy dee williams and brian piccolo james caan. Few expected the football film to be so loaded, but the story of the heartbreaking friendship between pro football players gale sayers and brian. Nicholas sparks to produce gale sayersbrian piccolo movie. Brian piccolo james caan and gale sayers billy dee williams are teammates on the mid1960s chicago bears. Al silverman is a noted sports writer and the author of ten books and numerous essays published in playboy, saga, and sport magazines. Brian piccolo and gale sayers are teammates on the chicago bears. Brians song is about respect, friendship, and love just. The bears signed him the same year they drafted gale sayers. Piccolos heroic fight against cancer and the constant support and friendship of sayers make this a moving and unforgettable film.
The movie, in which sayers was portrayed by billy dee williams in the 1971 original and by mekhi phifer in the 2001 remake, was adapted from sayers account of this story in his 1970 autobiography, i am third. Nicholas sparks and theresa park have acquired gale sayers life rights and his memoirs i am third and sayers. The movie starts during training camp 1965, as rookie running back gale sayers reports to camp for the chicago bears. They are the movie, in which sayers was portrayed by billy dee williams in 1971 original and by mekhi phifer in the 2001 remake, was adapted from sayers account of this story in his 1970 autobiography. The story of professional football players gale sayers and brian piccolo, and how their friendship on and off the field was affected when piccolo contracted a fatal. After piccolo was passed over in the 14team, 20round nfl draft, the bears signed him as a. Gale sayers burst upon the pro football scene in 1965 with the kind of an impact that the sport had not felt in many years. Pro football hall of fame member gale sayers is honored at halftime during the game between the minnesota vikings and the chicago bears at soldier field on october 31, 2016 in chicago, illinois. Sayers serves on the board of directors at american century mutual funds, located in kansas city, missouri. Rent brians song 1971 on dvd and bluray dvd netflix. Gale sayers traveling to bears100 ceremony despite severe. Ernest hemingway once said every true story ends in death.
Family of gale sayers, former bears player, talks about. This highlyacclaimed winner of five emmy awards is one of the bestloved movies ever made for television. In addition, his 1971 autobiography, i am third, was produced into an awardwinning television movie, brians song, starring james caan and billy dee williams. Brians song is a 1971 abc movie of the week that recounts the details of the life of brian piccolo played by james caan, a chicago bears football player stricken with terminal cancer after turning pro in 1965, told through his friendship with bears teammate gale sayers billy dee williams. Brians song is not just a film about football, or the chicago bears.
He is an actor and writer, known for brians song 1971, brians song 2001 and reggies prayer 1996. Rent brians song 1971 starring james caan and billy dee williams on dvd and bluray. He played for the university of kansas before being drafted by. Piccolo then tells sayers that halas cant hear in his left ear, and. In the remake of brians song, the television movie that makes.
The true story of a special relationship between two pro football players, gale sayers billy dee williams and brian piccolo james caan, who first made news as the nfls first interracial roommates. Full text and audio mp3 and video of movie brians song gale sayers accepts halas courage award. Penguin books has reissued i am third and what follows is an excerpt from the new edition. This sports movie is based on the book, i am third, the autobiography written by gayle sayres. Brians song is a 1971 abc movie of the week that recounts the details of the life of brian piccolo, a chicago bears football player stricken with terminal cancer after turning pro in 1965, told through his friendship with bears teammate gale sayers. Wednesday marks the 45th anniversary of the madefortv movie brian s song.
Abc will debut a remake of the popular tv movie on december 2. Sayers assesses both his former teammate and the movie classic about their close relationship on the chicago bears. Throughout the movie, gale sayers becomes a wonderful person because of his great traits, such as his loyalty, being shy, and others trust him. Brians song 1971 g 1h min biography, drama, sport tv movie 30 november 1971. The original movie was so short at 70 minutes that no mention was made of the three young piccolo daughters. He has been married to ardythe bullard since december. His relationship with friend gale sayers billy dee williams is the stuff of archetypal male camaraderie, and sayers s speech about his friend is one of the movies alltime fourhankie moments. Among his publications is i am third, cowritten with gale sayers, which was adapted for the 1971 television film, brians song. The interview took place october 19, 1980, nine years after piccolo died of. Gale sayers, one of the greatest running backs who ever lived, has been battling dementia for years. Sayers career and new battle are just another symbol of the tragic football condition. It is difficult to imagine a more dynamic debut than the one he enjoyed as a rookie. A drama about the deep friendship between gale sayers, black halfback for the chicago bears, and his white teammate, brian piccolo, who died of cancer in 1970 addeddate 20170504 18.
In the national football league, players get injured all of the time, but few are more of a what if story than halfback gale sayers one of the most explosive and talented football players in professional football history, sayers was limited to just seven seasons with the chicago bears due to injuries and barely even played in the final two. The movie s real turn takes place when sayers suffers his knee injury in the 1968 season in a week 9 win over the 49ers who he also had his best day against when he was leading the league in. Sayers asks him where head coach george halas office is, and piccolo tells him. He played college football for the university of kansas, and was twice recognized as an allamerican. Brians song while women shed more than a few tears over love story back in 1970, men had their equivalent with brians song on tv. Piccolos and sayers sharply differing temperaments and racial backgrounds made them unlikely to become as close friends as they did, including becoming the first interracial roommates in the history of the national football league, and the film ch. Gale sayers is known for his agility and completely different playing style. American football player gale sayers was born on may 30, 1943, in wichita, kansas. I first read this autobiography and memoir when i was in high school. Gale sayers pro football hall of fame official site. I had seen the movie, brians song, and as i often do with impactful movies, i sought out the book upon which the movie was based. In 2007, he released a new book, gale sayers, my life and times. Based on the reallife relationship between teammates brian piccolo and gale sayers.
Brians song is a 1971 abc movie of the week that recounts the details of the life of brian piccolo, a football player stricken with terminal cancer after turning pro, told through his friendship with chicago bears running back teammate and pro football hall of famer gale sayers, who helps him in his difficult struggle directed by buzz kulik. They are the movie, in which sayers was portrayed by billy dee williams in 1971 original and by mekhi phifer in the 2001 remake, was adapted from sayers account of. He is one of the most successful halfbacks till date. Gale was inducted into the hall of fame when he was only 34yearsold the. Javon williams aka bruce lee aka gale sayers week 322 carries for 2174 caught for 60 yards by.
Sayers was a monster on the field during his 7 years in the nfl rushing for more than 4,956 yards in just 68 games. Brians song is a made for television movie made for abc in 1971, that features james caan and billy d. Find gale sayers movies, filmography, bio, co stars, photos, news and tweets. Gale sayers is the biggest what if story in nfl history. He has been married to ardythe bullard since december 1, 1973. The iconic film about the iconic friendship between pro football hall of fame running back gale sayers and his chicago bears teammate, running back brian. After a punt lands at his feet as he gets out of the taxi cab, sayers meets fellow rookie back brian piccolo. The family of gale sayers, a former chicago bears hall of famer, opened up for the first time about his battle with dementia. In the racially charged 1960s, a white brian piccolo and a black. The new movie touches on the relationship of sayers former wife, linda, with oconnell. This biopic about the chicago bears brian piccolo and gale sayers is no mere sports film. Gale sayers, bio, wife, age, salary, net worth, numbers. What a baby max mcferren edm detection mode kevin macleod at the game.
Gale sayers had a short nfl career, however, he is the man of the match. This is a film about the respect, friendship, and love that is demonstrated in teammates. The story deals with the friendship of future hall of fame running back, gayle sayres and his roommate, brian piccolo and how they cope. Gale sayers was born on may 30, 1943 in wichita, kansas, usa as gale eugene sayers.
Brian piccolo and gale sayers rubbed each other the wrong way and never. In an interview with the kansas city star, his wife ardie sayers. Brians song dvd vision video christian videos, movies. Gale eugene sayers was born on the 30th may 1943, in wichita, kansas usa, and is a former american football player, who spent his entire career playing for the chicago bears of the national football league nfl, in. The iconic film about the iconic friendship between pro football hall of fame running back. My life and times and have partnered with michael costigan to produce a. Both star players for the chicago bears, sayers and piccolo soon became roommates and best friends. Gale eugene sayers born may 30, 1943, also known as the kansas comet, is a former american college and professional football player who was a running back in the national football league nfl for seven seasons during the 1960s and early 1970s. The university of kansas product also known for the movie brians song is. Based on the reallife relationship between teammates brian piccolo and gale sayers and the bond established when piccolo discovers that he is dying. It was an inspiring account, partly of gale sayers, a hall of fame football player for the chicago bears.