CHICAGO — Mike Ditka, the Hall of Fame tight end who revolutionized his position and then coached the Chicago Bears to the franchise’s only Super Bowl title, died Friday. He was 86.
Ditka’s family announced his death in a statement, calling him “our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend” and saying he would be “missed beyond measure and remembered forever.”
Known as “Iron Mike” for his toughness, Ditka was the fifth overall pick in the 1961 NFL draft out of the University of Pittsburgh. He caught 58 passes for 1,076 yards and 12 touchdowns as a rookie, becoming the first tight end in league history to top 1,000 receiving yards, and was named rookie of the year. He made five Pro Bowls and won the 1963 NFL championship with Chicago before finishing his playing career in Philadelphia and Dallas, where he won Super Bowl VI with the Cowboys.
After retiring as a player, Ditka joined Tom Landry’s Dallas coaching staff and then took over as Bears head coach in 1982. His 1985 team, powered by one of the most dominant defenses ever assembled, went 15-1 and crushed the New England Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX. He was named the NFL’s coach of the year in 1985 and 1988, and later coached the New Orleans Saints from 1997 to 1999, finishing with a 121-95 career record.
Chicago retired his No. 89 jersey in 2013, the last number the franchise says it will ever retire. He entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988.
After leaving the sideline, Ditka became a television analyst, restaurateur, and outspoken advocate for better medical and retirement benefits for former players.
The news was first shared publicly by Jarrett Payton, son of Bears legend Walter Payton, who announced it on Chicago sports radio.
