Chicago (United States) (AFP) – Mike Ditka, a larger-than-life coaching legend for the Chicago Bears who won two NFL titles as both a player and coach, died on Friday, his family announced. He was 86. Ditka, the fifth overall pick in the 1961 NFL Draft, played as a tight end from 1961-1972 and helped the Bears win the 1963 league crown. He also caught a touchdown pass for Dallas in the Cowboys’ 1972 Super Bowl triumph.
As a coach, Ditka guided the Bears to victory in the 1986 Super Bowl, the 46-10 rout of New England ending a 23-year title drought for the team and the city. He was also an assistant coach for the Cowboys in their 1978 Super Bowl triumph over Denver.
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“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.”
Jarrett Payton, son of the late Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton who played under Ditka in Chicago, posted the statement on social media. “Da Coach. Hall of Famer. The heartbeat of the ’85 Bears and a Super Bowl champion,” Payton wrote. “Chicago won’t be the same.”
Ditka’s hard-hitting style made him among the NFL’s most feared players of his era, his toughness earning him the nickname “Iron Mike” with grit that evoked the sport’s Midwest roots. “We are deeply saddened by the passing of legendary and treasured Chicago Bear and Pro Football Hall of Famer Mike Ditka,” the Bears said in a statement. “Mike’s impact on the Chicago Bears organization — over decades as a player, coach, and proud icon and ambassador for our organization — is immeasurable.”
“His integral role in bringing world championships to our city and our franchise, both as a player and as our coach, established prominence and excellence at a world-class level, but also created a lifetime of cherished memories in the hearts and minds of Bears fans that will last for generations.”
Ditka, who went 121-95 as a head coach for the Bears and New Orleans Saints, became a celebrated NFL television analyst and commentator, his gruff manner attracting fans and earning parody from fans of “Da Bears” on Saturday Night Live. While coaching and appearing on a Chicago sports radio station, he once challenged a caller to a fight.
– ‘Tremendous honor’ –
Ditka was born and raised in suburban Pittsburgh, his father a welder of Polish and Ukrainian heritage while his mother’s ancestry was Irish and German. He played basketball, baseball, and American football at the University of Pittsburgh and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986, two years before his induction to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the first tight end to be enshrined.
Ditka was the 1961 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year after becoming the first rookie tight end in league history with more than 1,000 reception yards in a season. George Halas, the Bears’ founder, owner, and head coach, hired his former player Ditka as coach in 1982, and Chicago reached three conference finals and a Super Bowl in Ditka’s 11 seasons there. His famed 1985 squad, which made a video called the “Super Bowl Shuffle,” went 15-1 before crushing New England in the title game.
Ditka would sometimes clash with assistant coaches and players, but the team dominated like few others in NFL history behind outspoken quarterback Jim McMahon and defensive tackle William “The Refrigerator” Perry. Ditka had his jersey number, 89, retired by the Bears in 2013, calling it “the consummation of a career,” and “a tremendous honor.” He appeared in movies and on television, often as himself, and was a pitchman for numerous products, particularly in the Chicago region.
© 2024 AFP
