Legendary Chicago Bears coach and player Mike Ditka has died at the age of 86, his family announced on Friday.
Ditka revolutionized the tight end position during his playing career before becoming coach of the Bears and leading the franchise to its sole Super Bowl title in 1985. Ditka played on the Bears’ 1963 NFL championship team and won a Super Bowl with the Dallas Cowboys.
‘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.
‘Mike will be missed beyond measure and remembered forever.’
As a player, Ditka was the No. 5 overall pick in the 1961 NFL Draft. He won Rookie of the Year after becoming the first tight end to have more than 1,000 receiving yards.
Legendary Chicago Bears coach and player Mike Ditka has died at the age of 86
Ditka, the first tight end to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, played for Chicago for six seasons before spending two with the Philadelphia Eagles and four with the Cowboys.
He was hired to coach the Bears by his former coach and the team’s founder George Halas in 1982. Ditka led them to the playoffs seven times in 11 seasons and reached the NFC title game three times.
Ditka’s 1985 Bears were remembered for their sheer dominance, going 15-1 while ranking among the top teams in football on offense and defense before obliterating the New England Patriots, 46-10 in Super Bowl XX.
But that Chicago team was also remembered as a divided locker room, with defensive stars giving their allegiance to defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan while the offense rallied around Ditka.
The schism was crystalized in the moments after the Super Bowl XX win in New Orleans, where both Ditka and Ryan were lifted onto players’ shoulders following the blowout victory.
Ditka was eventually fired after the 1992 season and took a break from the sideline before he was hired by the New Orleans Saints in 1997. He couldn’t replicate his success, however, and left after going 15-33 in three seasons.
More to follow.
