By Brad Matthews (The Washington Times)
Mike Ditka, the title-winning tight end and coach for the Chicago Bears, died Friday at age 86.
Ditka’s family said in a statement that “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’s family did not specify his cause of death.
Ditka is in both the College Football Hall of Fame, inducted in 1986 in honor of his playing career as a tight end at the University of Pittsburgh, and the Pro Football Hall of Fame, where he was inducted in 1988 in honor of his playing career with the Bears, Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys.
Ditka was named United Press International NFL Rookie of the Year for 1961, having caught 56 passes for 1,076 yards and 12 touchdowns with the Bears.
He also won the 1963 NFL title with the Bears, then scored a touchdown for the Cowboys in their Super Bowl triumph that capped the 1971 season.
Following the end of his playing career after the 1972 season, Ditka went into coaching, working first under Tom Landry as a special teams and wide receivers coach for the Cowboys before returning to the Bears as a head coach in 1982.
Three years later, he had Chicago on top of the football world. His 15-1 Bears dominated defensively and completed the 1985 season by blitzing New England 46-10 in the Super Bowl.
Ditka coached the Bears until his firing after the 1992 season. He returned to coaching in 1997, heading the New Orleans Saints until he was let go after the 1999 campaign.
This article was made available to WMAL via The Washington Times.
