Seeing Piccolo in himself

Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris says he didn’t need a history lesson when he was told that teammates had voted him the winner of the team’s rookie Brian Piccolo Award. He had already seen the movie that told the story of Piccolo’s career and death of cancer at 26 in 1970. “Brian’s Song” is “one of my favorite movies, and I’m not just saying that because I won the award,” Harris said upon receiving the honor Thursday. “I saw how he was in the locker room, how he made guys smile when they didn’t want to smile, and he exuded a work ethic.” Center Olin Kreutz repeated as winner of the veteran award, which is given to players who best exemplify the “loyalty, teamwork, dedication and sense of humor” of Piccolo.