Brian Piccolo: A Short Season

by Jeannie Morris

Book Overview

Chicago Bear running back Brian Piccolo died of cancer at age 26, leaving behind a young wife, three daughters, a host of friends -- and a legend. More than 100,000 copies of this classic sports... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0528817701
• ISBN13: 9780528817700
• Release Date: January 1971
• Publisher: Rand McNally
• Length: 190 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Brian inspires us

In 1972, I was a high school football player. I had entered the season with pretty great expectations from the town and coaches. That season proved to be something different than planned as I suffered a broken leg in the 3rd week of practices. Instead of piling up yards on the gridiron, I was left to sit on the bench with my crutches and knee high cast. I was awash in self-pity and sorrow for the loss of my season and the chance to compete. Every game was torture and my eyes were never very far from tears. It was after the 5th game, I sat at home brooding by the kitchen table when my dad came home from work. He laid this book in front of me. In side he had written, "At least you have next year." I read the book. It's effect on me was both deep and profound. A person can't help but admire the courage of a man who faced what Brian faced. It changed my perspective from one of sorrow to one of "I will again." I was lucky enough to go on and play college football. I am now a coach with 30 years experience. I have witnessed the agony of others who suffer from injury. Both of my own sons also lost season due to injury. But, it is this book and a Fall evening in 1972 that still paints the way I counsel these young athletes today. It is a joyful book of hope in the midst of tragedy. I have a lot to thank Brain Piccolo. This book truly affected my life.

Brian Piccolo: A Short Season, but a Triumphant One

Brian Piccolo: A Short Season was marvelously written by Brian's close friend, Jeannie Morris. This book gives the readers a detailed view into his existence while still being discrete enough for the Piccolo family to remain happy with the biography/autobiography. Chicago Bears running back Brian Piccolo lived to be only 26 years of age, dying on June 16, 1970, from liver cancer. While his stay on this Earth was a brief and trying one, Piccolo made it count every single day. His story is of highs and lows, heroics and disappointments, comedy and despair, and, ultimately, tragedy. However, Piccolo lived his life ideally, paying tributes to various foundations while enjoying and loving life to the fullest. The book includes the entirety of this great man's life, from his young baseball-playing childhood to his record-setting career at Wake Forest College to his last days as a father, husband, and Chicago Bear. Piccolo was a spirit-lifting person among those he spent time with, before and after he was diagnosed with the fatal cancerous disease. His charm and wit grabbed his fellow players, his coaches, and, most importantly, the general public. While `Pic' started only a handful of games for the Bears, he rarely if ever complained despite a burning desire to play the game he loved so dearly. Piccolo was a favorite among Chicago Bears fans, and although he backed up the legendary Gale Sayers, his team-first attitude and love for the game kept him afloat until that day when the prospect of a lifetime would arise and give him the opportunity to start. Even on his deathbed, Piccolo never gave up his hope for a miraculous recovery and return to the football field. After all, Brian Piccolo's heart was never the question; it was his liver which was diagnosed with cancer. Former Bears-teammate and close friend Johnny Morris summed up Pic's life in the foreword, remarking "Brian Piccolo made it to the top at 26."

A TESTAMENT OF TIME

We've all seen the movie "Brian Song" a hundred times. Why has the story of Brian Piccalo has survived more than three decades? Jeanne Morris provides the answers and so much more. She does a tremendous job revealing a side to Brian that so few were fortunate enough to witness. What the reader finds is that Brian Piccalo was more than a cancer patient -- He was a friend to all. Who was Brian Piccalo? Just a down to earth man who you'd welcome into your home.

Brian Piccolo

Brian Piccolo Jeannie Morris Yes I would recommend this book. It is a good book. It is about two guys that play football. One gets hurt. The other one dies. It has sad parts in the book to read.

Brian Piccolo: AShort Season is a classic for teens on up.

Although it has been awhile since I have read this book I have read it several times. The book has a gripping storyline. A Short Season draws young, male readers at first because of it's connection with professional sports. Then, it would draw readers in because of the main plot. How does a professional athlete who is in the prime of life, and those around him, deal with the devastating disease that is cancer ? The several subplots that exist are good too. Athough Brian's Song is very good, Brian Piccolo:A Short Season gives the reader a true glimpse of who Piccolo REALLY was; both before and after his time with the Chicago Bears. Another subplot that comes out even more so in this book is the respect and honest love Piccolo and Gayle Sayers had for each other. Also, there is the subplot that explores the relationship Piccolo had with his physically challenged sister-inlaw, Carol. The latter two subplots were extreemly rare in the early 70s ( when this book was originally written ) and are extreemly important examples for our world today.