MIKE DITKA: Hall of Fame Football Icon, Bears Coach Dead at 86
MIKE DITKA: Hall of Fame Football Icon, Bears Coach Dead at 86
Mike Ditka, the larger-than-life football icon who helped redefine the tight end position and later coached the Chicago Bears to their only Super Bowl championship, has died at the age of 86.
His family announced his passing today (Friday) writing, “It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mike Ditka. While the world knew Mike as a Hall of Fame football player, legendary coach, and leader of the Chicago Bears’ Super Bowl XX championship team, we knew him as the heart of our family. Mike will be missed beyond measure and remembered forever.”
Ditka first made his mark as a player. The fifth overall pick in the 1961 NFL Draft out of the University of Pittsburgh, he was named Rookie of the Year after becoming the first tight end to top 1,000 receiving yards in a season. He played for the Chicago Bears, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys, winning an NFL championship with the Bears in 1963 and Super Bowl VI with Dallas. Ditka became the first tight end inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988.
After nine seasons as an assistant coach in Dallas, Ditka returned to Chicago as head coach in 1982. His fiery personality and demanding style helped shape one of the most dominant teams in NFL history. The 1985 Bears went 15-and-1 and crushed New England 46-10 in Super Bowl XX, delivering the franchise’s only Super Bowl title. During 11 seasons in Chicago, Ditka led the Bears to seven playoff appearances and three trips to the NFC Championship Game. He later coached the New Orleans Saints from 1997 to 1999.
Beyond football, Ditka became a pop culture figure, appearing in commercials, television shows and films, and later working as an NFL analyst for NBC and ESPN. No cause of death was announced. He had previously survived two heart attacks and a stroke. Ditka is survived by his wife Diane and his four kids. (ESPN)
