<P> Brian 's Song is a 1971 ABC Movie of the Week that recounts the details of the life of Brian Piccolo ( played by James Caan ) , a Wake Forest University football player stricken with terminal cancer after turning pro , told through his friendship with Chicago Bears teammate Gale Sayers ( Billy Dee Williams ) . Piccolo 's and Sayers 's 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 chronicles the evolution of their friendship . The production was such a success on ABC that it was later shown in theaters by Columbia Pictures with a major premiere in Chicago ; however , it was soon withdrawn due to a lack of business . Critics have called the movie one of the finest telefilms ever made . A 2005 readers poll taken by Entertainment Weekly ranked ' Brian 's Song ' seventh in its list of the top `` guy - cry '' films ever made . </P>
<P> Brian 's Song is a 1971 ABC Movie of the Week that recounts the details of the life of Brian Piccolo ( played by James Caan ) , a Wake Forest University football player stricken with terminal cancer after turning pro , told through his friendship with Chicago Bears teammate Gale Sayers ( Billy Dee Williams ) . Piccolo 's and Sayers 's 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 chronicles the evolution of their friendship . The production was such a success on ABC that it was later shown in theaters by Columbia Pictures with a major premiere in Chicago ; however , it was soon withdrawn due to a lack of business . Critics have called the movie one of the finest telefilms ever made . A 2005 readers poll taken by Entertainment Weekly ranked ' Brian 's Song ' seventh in its list of the top `` guy - cry '' films ever made . </P>
who played gale sayers in brian 's song
who played gale sayers in brian 's song
Billy Dee Williams
Billy Dee Williams