Mike Ditka, the Pro Football Hall of Fame tight end who coached the Chicago Bears to their only Super Bowl triumph, has died. He was 86.
FAKTA
- Age: 86 — his family announced his death on Friday, October 9. No cause of death was given.
- As a player: drafted fifth overall by the Bears in 1961; NFL Rookie of the Year; the first tight end inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame (1988); won championships with the Bears (1963) and the Dallas Cowboys (Super Bowl VI).
- As a coach: hired by George Halas in 1982; 11 seasons with the Bears; led the 1985 team (15-1) to a 46-10 win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX.
- Legacy: known as “Da Coach” and “Iron Mike”; the Bears retired his No. 89 jersey in 2013.
Family announces his passing
“It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mike Ditka,” his family said in a statement. “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.”
The news was first reported by Jarrett Payton, the son of Bears legend Walter Payton, on 104.3 The Score in Chicago, before the family’s statement was released.
The architect of the ’85 Bears
Ditka was hired as head coach of the Bears by team founder George Halas in 1982 and led Chicago to the playoffs seven times during his 11-year run. His 1985 team, featuring one of the most dominant defenses in NFL history, went 15-1 in the regular season and crushed the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX in New Orleans on January 26, 1986.
Bears head coach Ben Johnson paid tribute on Friday, calling Ditka “the gold standard” and adding: “He’s a legend around here — as a player, as a coach. His impact is still being felt to this day.”
Ditka was fired after the 1992 season and later coached the New Orleans Saints from 1997 to 1999.
A playing career that changed the position
Before he ever coached, Ditka revolutionized the tight end position. Selected fifth overall in the 1961 NFL Draft, he won Rookie of the Year after becoming the first tight end in NFL history to record 1,000 receiving yards in a season. He played six seasons for the Bears, two for the Philadelphia Eagles and four for the Dallas Cowboys, and was a member of the Bears’ 1963 NFL championship team and the Cowboys’ Super Bowl VI winners.
He became the first tight end enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988. In 2013, the Bears retired his No. 89 jersey — the team said it would be the last number it retires.
After football, Ditka became a restaurateur, pitchman and TV personality, as well as a forceful advocate for improved medical and retirement benefits for former players. Revered in Chicago and famous nationwide as “Da Coach”, the blunt, straight-talking legend remained one of the most recognizable figures the sport has ever produced.
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