• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Sports
    • Baseball Not By The Numbers
    • Chicago Bears
    • Chicago Cubs
    • Chicago White Sox
  • Entertainment
    • Booth Reviews – About Us
    • Booth Reviews – Our Ratings
  • Home Improvement USA Radio
  • About Us
    • Business Services
    • Paid Content Guidelines
    • Hoops, Hops, and Hopes: 1982 in Chapel Hill
    • Email Sign Ups
SRN Broadcasting

SRN Broadcasting

Sports, Talk Radio, and more

You are here: Home / Sports / Chicago Bears / Akiem Hicks, Roquan Smith chosen as 2018 Piccolo Award Winners

Akiem Hicks, Roquan Smith chosen as 2018 Piccolo Award Winners

April 23, 2019 by Steve Leventhal

These two Chicago Bears standouts were selected by their teammates to receive this distinguished honor.

The Piccolo Award has been given to a Bears rookie every season since 1970 in memory of Brian Piccolo. In 1992, the award was expanded to include a veteran as well. The Piccolo Award is a special honor voted on by Bears players, who select a teammate they feel best exemplifies the courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication and sense of humor of the late Brian Piccolo.

The presenters and recipients of the 2018 Brian Piccolo awards

Patrick McCaskey, grandson of Bears founder George Halas acted as master of ceremonies. First he introduced Piccolo’s daughter Traci who noted, “It’s hard to believe that it’s been forty-nine years since we founded the Brian Piccolo Cancer Research Fund to carry on my father’s legacy and find a cure. She went on to talk about how much money has been raised, some of the current research, and expressed her thanks to the McCaskey family for all their support.

Coach Matt Nagy went next. He stressed how the team makes Piccolo’s legacy important, and how much it means to the players and coaches. “I think Our whole city, our whole family, our whole organization, should be extremely proud of the high character people we have, and how much family we’ve become.”

Assistant Linebackers coach Bill Shuey introduced rookie honoree Roquan Smith by saying, “Roquan epitomizes the characteristics associated with the Brian Piccolo award. Courage, loyalty, teamwork, dedication, and the sense of humor. He has all of them.” Shuey added, “He’s an extremely hard worker, and he practices like he plays, but he also has a lighthearted side to him. His (Roquan’s) fast and tenacious style of play, coupled with humble and hard-working approach to the game, has earned him the respect of his coaches and teammates.”

Roquan Smith talks to the media after winning the Brian Piccolo award for rookies.

The soft spoken Smith humbly accepted his award. “I’m honored to stand if front of you guys. I would like to thank the entire Chicago Bears organization for giving me an opportunity to live out my dream. To my teammates, I wouldn’t be here without you guys who have encouraged, motivated, and graciously taught me so much about this game on a daily basis. And also for noticing my hard work, courage, loyalty , and teamwork.”

New Defensive Coordinator Chuck Pagano talked about his own personal battle with cancer. “To the Piccolo family, I can’t tell you how grateful I am for your advocacy. The Piccolo fund research saved my life.” He discussed how the cure rate for the form of leukemia that he got back in 2012, had a cure rate of 90 percent, up from merely 50 percent thirty years ago. Pagano added, “I certainly know and understand the significance of this award, and everything that comes with it. It’s all about representing the decal on the helmet, and the name on the jersey. He turned to Hicks and explained that in the 2012 draft, the Colts picked below New Orleans, and stated, “had you slipped three spots, you would have been a Colt.”

“I watched the movie last night. Hicks thanked the McCaskey family for bringing him to Chicago and making him a part of the organization, and Ryan Pace for drafting him in New Orleans (where he served as player personnel director). This award means so much. You can be nothing better than a team guy, a coach once told me. You go nowhere without your teammates. No matter how strong, how big, and how fast you are, you can’t beat eleven guys by yourself. I understood that with a team, it takes everybody coming together. One of the biggest differences in our season this year was how we were able to come together and be teammates, and care for one another. It’s so important.”

After the presentation, both players met with the media. Hicks talked about how he holds the history of the organization in high regard. “I’ve met I don’t know how many of the Chicago Bear greats. I met Dan Hampton, Richard Dent, Mike Singletary. In other organizations that I’ve been in, I never had that opportunity.” He also explained why he voted for Roquan, “From his his first day, he came here with the right mind set. He was focused. He was hard working. He had respect for the were here before him. The way he approached the game as a young man, You don’t see that all the time when guys come into the league.”

Smith noted, “Last year at this time, I was more focused on ‘where I was going to go’ and now I can focus on my craft.” He also commented on coach Pagano. “He’s a great guy. Great sense of humor. I love his character. He comes to work every day with a positive attitude.” His goals for this season. “Try to pick up where we left off last year. It didn’t end the way we would have liked it. Put pour heads down and keep working to not make this year a disappointment like last year.”

Roquan Smith and Akiem Hicks feature prominently in our new book, The 2018 Chicago Bears – Return to Respectability, available exclusively on Amazon Kindle. Get it for a limited time for only 99 cents, a Dan Hampton friendly price.

Filed Under: Chicago Bears, Featured Sports, NFL, Sports

Primary Sidebar

Follow Us

Hoops, Hops, and Hopes: 1982 in Chapel Hill

A memoir by Steven Leventhal - coming soon. I am working feverishly on my forthcoming memoir. This is the story of a pivotal year in my life. In 1978 I graduated in a class of 225 from a small town in North Carolina, and entered college that … Read more about Hoops, Hops, and Hopes: 1982 in Chapel Hill

Our Radio Partner

Acid Flashback Radio logo
HTML5 RADIO PLAYER PLUGIN WITH REAL VISUALIZER powered by Sodah Webdesign Dexheim

Recent Posts

  • FIFA ANNOUNCES CITIES TO HOST 2026 FIFA WORLD CUP 
  • 2022 Chicago Bears OTA, Part 1
  • 2022 Bears Rookie Minicamp
  • Chicago Bears Select 11 Players in 2022 NFL Draft
  • Chicago Bears announce Piccolo Winners, Prepare for 2022 NFL Draft

Featured Story

Meet Spencer West – Incredible and Inspiring!

In October 2019, at the Ensemble Travel conference in Seattle, I got to hear and talk to one of the most incredible individuals I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. The theme of the annual travel agent convention was "Travel With Purpose." Spencer West lost his legs below his pelvis at age … [Read More...] about Meet Spencer West – Incredible and Inspiring!

The Hunt for Venture Capital – Our First Success

It really isn’t a stretch to use the well worn Grateful Dead quote, “What a long strange trip it’s been.” Two years ago Eric Leventhal and I stood up in front of a group of entrepreneurs, investors, and other invited guests as part of a pitch contest at the Chicago chapter of StartUp Grind. It […]

Entertaiment

Why “Red Notice” Is More Relevant Than Ever

There was a story in The Washington Post about Ivan Gulanov, a Russian investigative reporter on alleged drug possession charges. Some of the circumstances were eerily similar to the book Red Notice, I had just finished reading. This 2015 book is the true story about a lawyer who took on corruption in corporate Russia. It […]

Home Improvement

Home Improvement USA – July 2021

with David Rusch and Steve Leventhal On the July 2021 edition of the Home Improvement USA program, Dave and Steve discuss reasons, other than investment purposes, to buy a home instead of renting a … [Read More...] about Home Improvement USA – July 2021

Footer

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Information
  • Our Core Values
  • Privacy
  • Business Services
  • Email Sign Ups
  • Paid Content Guidelines

Archives

  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • December 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011

Copyright © 2022 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in