Mike Ditka dies at age 86: Chicago Bears icon shaped NFL as Hall of Fame player, larger-than-life coach
He was number 366 on the list.
A flat-topped freight train from Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, Mike Ditka became a Chicago sports icon.
He was a tight end made of iron, a rumbling wrecking ball who cemented himself as one of the greatest at his position in NFL chronicle. Years later, he returned to the Second City as a coach; a slick-haired, thick-'stached leader of men who was at the forefront of a 1985 Bears Super Bowl triumph that stands as one of the most heralded seasons in league history.
He was "Iron Mike," he was "Da Coach," he was a Hall of Famer who died on Friday. Ditka was 86.
The death was announced by Jarrett Payton, son of Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton, who played under Ditka in Chicago.
"It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mike Ditka," Ditka's family said in a statement, via Jarrett Payton. "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."
Enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988 after a decorated playing career, Ditka was amid a storied coaching run with the Bears at the time of his induction. As a player, he was a 1963 NFL champion with the Bears and a Super Bowl VI winner with the Cowboys. He went on to claim a pair of Super Bowls in the coaching ranks, winning Super Bowl XII as a Dallas assistant under Tom Landry before he was carried off the field following the Bears' Super Bowl XX conquest in January of 1986.
On the field, Ditka was a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro who played 12 NFL seasons: six with Chicago, two with Philadelphia and four with Dallas. The 1961 Associated Press NFL Rookie of the Year, Ditka was later recognized as a member of the league's 75th Anniversary and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams. His playing career spanned 158 regular-season games, producing 427 receptions for 5,812 receiving yards and 43 touchdowns.
Ditka was an NFL head coach for 14 seasons (1982-1992 with the Bears; 1997-99 for the Saints) and was twice voted AP NFL Coach of the Year (1985 and '88). Ditka produced a 121-95 career record. He and fellow Hall of Famer Tom Flores stand as the only people to win Super Bowls as a player, assistant coach and head coach.
"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 on Friday.
"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."
After decades of competing in NFL, Ditka continued to entertain football fans by analyzing the league. With his signature persona shining through the TV airwaves, it was a fitting coda for an extraordinary football life.
"Mike Ditka epitomized football over so many years. He
brought intensity, authenticity, and an unmistakable personality to everything
he did," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement on Friday.
"As a Hall of Fame player, Super Bowl-winning coach with his beloved and
iconic Bears, and as a broadcaster, Mike served as an ambassador for the game
and inspired generations of fans. Through his work with the Gridiron Greats
Assistance Fund, Mike was a champion for taking care of those who helped build
our game. We extend our deepest condolences to Diana and the Ditka
family."
Born on Oct. 18, 1939 in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, Ditka honed his toughness in the Keystone State. He starred at Aliquippa High before shining in college at Pittsburgh.
Ditka was a first-round pick of the Bears in the 1961 NFL Draft, taken fifth overall, and was the eighth overall pick of the 1961 AFL Draft, selected by the Oilers. He chose Chicago and made an instant impact, piling up statistics from the get-go and pulverizing the opposition in the process.
In 1961, Ditka turned in one of the greatest debut seasons in NFL lore. Earning Pro Bowl honors right off the bat, he set rookie TE records in receptions (56), receiving yards (1,076) and receiving touchdowns (12) over 14 games, with all three figures leading the entire league at the position. Keith Jackson broke the receptions record in his rookie season of 1988, while Brock Bowers finally topped the yardage mark in 2024, 63 years after Ditka took the league by storm. Meanwhile, Ditka's TD figure remains unmatched among rookie tight ends.
Ditka still produced in phenomenal and standard-setting fashion throughout his career, but his rookie campaign would mark the only year in which he tallied 1,000 yards or double-digit touchdowns. Nonetheless, he led all NFL tight ends in receptions in each of his first four seasons. For the position, he was a statistical marvel, but just as much regarded for his brutal blocking and the punishment he doled out to those who tried to stop him after a catch.
Unfortunately for Ditka -- whose Bears teammates included future Hall of Famers like Dick Butkus, Gale Sayers and Bill George -- his individual greatness did not parallel team success on an annual basis. During Ditka's Chicago tenure from 1961-1966, the Bears logged one postseason appearance, though they did make the most of it: winning the NFL West Division prior to besting the Giants, 14-10, in the NFL Championship on Dec. 29, 1963, at Wrigley Field. It was the Bears' first NFL title since 1946, and they wouldn't claim another for 22 years (with Ditka playing a monumental role in that triumph, as well).
Across six autumns as a player in Chicago, Ditka racked up 316 receptions, 4,503 yards and 34 touchdowns -- averaging 52.7 catches for 750.5 yards and 5.7 TDs per 14-game season. Iron Mike never missed a game for the Bears, but he didn't feel his devotion and production were supported by his paycheck. Ahead of the 1967 season, Ditka was traded by the Bears to the Eagles -- though it wasn't exactly that simple. With the NFL-AFL merger still to come, Ditka had inked a contract that offseason with the Oilers, who had originally selected him in that league's draft when the tight end was coming out of Pitt. Ultimately, the Eagles picked up Ditka's Oilers contract and compensated the Bears by shipping quarterback Jack Concannon to Chicago. In one of the earliest of many quips from Ditka to the Chicago press, the tight end famously said of head coach and owner George Halas that he "threw nickels around like manhole covers" in reference to Halas' frugalness.
Ditka's days with the Bears, of course, were far from over -- many of his finest chapters were still yet to be written. As a player, though, Ditka moved on from Chicago and found his way to Philadelphia. His two seasons playing back in his home state were largely disappointing. He played just 20 total games and it could be argued he wasn't the team's top tight end in either year, as he was pushed by Jim Kelly and Fred Hill for that distinction.
Ditka was traded again before the season of '69, this time to the Cowboys, who would prove pivotal in resurrecting his playing career and setting up his coaching days.
Ditka's last four seasons as a player were spent in Dallas, with the initial three seeing him serve primarily as a backup. Still, he contributed and was part of a pair of Super Bowl berths: the franchise's first appearance, a Super Bowl V loss to the Colts, and then the franchise's first win, a Super Bowl VI victory over the Dolphins. In Dallas' 24-3 triumph over Miami in January of 1972, Ditka hauled in a 7-yard touchdown pass from Roger Staubach to put the finishing touches on the blowout. Ditka set a then-franchise record for TEs with 30 receptions in 1971 and then started all 14 games for the 1972 Cowboys, who made it to the NFC Championship Game.
In March of 1973, Ditka announced his retirement as a player and was hired on to Landry's staff as an assistant coach. From 1973 through 1981, Ditka was a mainstay coaching special teams and receivers. Along the way, Ditka collected a second Super Bowl ring as part of the Cowboys' 1977 championship squad, which defeated the Broncos, 27-10, in Super Bowl XII.
After more than a decade with the Cowboys as a player and an assistant, Ditka departed Dallas and returned to Chicago as head coach in 1982. Ditka's Bears homecoming saw him take over a franchise that had been to the playoffs just twice since he was part of the 1963 championship squad and had not won a postseason contest in that span. A 3-6 showing in the strike-shortened '82 campaign marked Ditka's first season at the Bears' helm, but a turnaround was afoot.
In 1984, the Bears emerged as NFL heavyweights, winning the NFC Central for the first of five straight seasons and advancing to the NFC Championship Game, where they lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion 49ers. Then came 1985 and a Bears season that would see a cavalcade of Chicago characters run roughshod over the league, dominating foes, entertaining fans from the Windy City throughout the world and forming a champion that would live on in legend.
Ditka's offense and Buddy Ryan's defense clashed at practice and the two coaches butted heads in decision-making, but amid the chaos, a championship squad emerged. Boasting a slew of future Hall of Famers such as defensive linemen Richard Dent, Dan Hampton and Steve McMichael, linebacker Mike Singletary and one of the greatest of all time in running back Walter Payton, the '85 Bears had the talent to dominate and the personalities to garner headlines.
Revered in Chicago, the Bears were stars across the country and beyond, as Payton, brash quarterback Jim McMahon and rookie defensive tackle/part-time fullback William "Refrigerator" Perry became commercial fixtures. And Ditka, himself, never shied away from endorsements.
All the hoopla and hype didn't deter domination. The Bears
won their first 12 games in 1985 before suffering their only defeat of the
season: a 38-24 setback on Monday Night Football to Dan Marino's Dolphins.
After ravaging the Giants and Rams with shutout wins in the Divisional Round
and NFC Championship Game, respectively, the Bears expected to see the Dolphins
again in the Super Bowl. Instead, they found the Patriots, who had upset Miami
in the AFC title game.
Having already walloped the Pats, 20-7, in Week 2 of the regular season, the Bears were practically anointed champs before the game kicked off. And Chicago did indeed annihilate New England, 46-10, which was the most lopsided victory in Super Bowl history at the time. The defense bullied and battered the Patriots, forcing six turnovers, recording seven sacks and allowing a meager 123 yards, with just 7 on the ground.
The only unfortunate aspect of an otherwise-sterling evening for the Bears in New Orleans spawned from the victors' final touchdown: a 1-yard rushing score by Perry, not Payton. For so long, the man beloved by Chicago and known as "Sweetness" had carried the team through bleak seasons. On this triumphant night, though, Payton was bottled up, as the Patriots' game plan clearly revolved around stopping the superstar back. They did, holding Payton to just 61 yards on 22 carries, but it opened up the rest of the offense. That said, when Chicago got to first-and-goal at the 1-yard line late in the third quarter of a blowout, many saw a perfect opportunity for Payton to get his just due with a Super Bowl TD. Instead, Ditka called Perry's number, giving the rookie D-lineman a chance to celebrate. It was an oft-criticized decision that Ditka eventually admitted he regretted.
"It never, ever crossed my mind. Now is that wrong of me? Yes, probably. It should've crossed my mind, but it didn't," Ditka said on ESPN's The '85 Bears. "I didn't think it would ever mean anything to, I think, the greatest Bear ever. But then it did, so I was wrong. That, I regret a lot. I really do regret it a lot, because I didn't realize it was important to him, and it was very important to him."
Nonetheless, it was one of the greatest nights in Chicago sports history, as the Bears celebrated their Super Bowl XX glory by carrying Ditka and Ryan off the field. It was Chicago's first major sports title in 22 years.
From 1984-88, the Bears ran the NFC Central, winning the division each year. But they followed their Super Bowl victory with back-to-back losses in the Divisional Round. Chicago returned to the NFC Championship Game in the 1988 campaign, but lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion 49ers. Though the Bears' '85 team will forever live in NFL lore and is seen by some as the greatest Super Bowl champion of them all, it was the Niners who were the team of the ‘80s. Why Ditka's Bears were unable to win more than one title is an argument that will rage on for as long as the game is played in Chicago. Days after the Super Bowl beatdown of New England, Ryan left to be the head coach of the Eagles. Ditka and many of his players racked up endorsements, and as their celebrity grew, some believe success was taken for granted. McMahon's never-say-die playing style saw him injured often. For whatever reason, one Lombardi was all the Bears got.
After a 5-11 season in 1992, Ditka's memorable run as Bears head coach concluded with his firing.
"This has been a kind of interesting day in my life," Ditka told reporters after his ouster, as chronicled in The '85 Bears. "I don't think I've ever had one like this. I hope I never have another one like this."
Unfortunately for Ditka, he would.
After four years away from the sidelines, Ditka returned as
head coach of the Saints. His three-season run in the Big Easy was a big bust,
with his teams going a combined 15-33. His tenure with the Saints will forever
be linked to Ricky Williams. Williams was the Saints' only pick of the 1999 NFL
Draft, as they traded the rest -- as well as their first- and third-round
selections in the 2000 draft -- to move into the No. 5 slot and nab the Heisman
Trophy-winning running back out of Texas. The two then famously appeared on the
cover of ESPN The Magazine dressed as bride (Williams in a wedding dress) and
groom (Ditka in a tuxedo). The marriage lasted but one year, as Williams was
plagued by injuries in his rookie campaign and Ditka was dismissed following a three-win
season.
Ditka would remain a staple on Sundays, but it was as a game day analyst. He never coached again.
Following his firing from the Bears, Ditka joined NBC, and after he was dismissed from the Saints, he headed to CBS. He later made his way to ESPN and was a familiar face for years across the network's football coverage, whether it be on NFL Live, Sunday NFL Countdown or Monday Night Football.
Ditka's TV time wasn't limited to commercials and NFL analysis, though. Often playing himself, Ditka had guest appearances on TV shows such as Coach, According to Jim, Entourage and even the series finale of Cheers. He also had a major part alongside Will Ferrell and Robert Duvall in the comedy film Kicking & Screaming.
For all his fame as a player, coach, analyst and actor, it's arguable that his legend grew largest on Saturday Night Live -- when he wasn't even on the show. Cherished and idolized during "Bill Swerski's Superfans" skits -- featuring Joe Mantegna, George Wendt, Chris Farley, Mike Myers and Robert Smigel -- Ditka was "Da Coach," put alongside Bulls superstar Michael Jordan as an unbeatable, unconquerable being who transcended Chicago sports for these parodied fanatics.
Among Windy City sports icons, Ditka -- the dynamic player, the fiery coach -- remains one of the most revered. And ironically, nothing summed up Ditka's passion for football better than his own words on the day he was fired by the Bears.
"I'm no special deal," Ditka told reporters, tears welling up his eyes. "Mike Ditka's a guy that came out of Aliquippa ... Came out of Aliquippa (in) 1957, as a high school football player. Went to the University of Pittsburgh. And my life has been a miracle since, because of this game."
1985 Chicago Bears Roster
BearsRoster1985
Name Age Pos Wt Ht College CollegeMascot BirthDate Yrs
Brad Anderson 24 WR
198 6-2 Arizona Wildcats 1/12/1961 1
Tom Andrews 23 T-C 265 6-4 Louisville Cardinals 1/11/1962 1
Kurt Becker 27 G 271 6-5 Michigan Wolverines 12/22/1958 3
Mark Bortz 24 G 282 6-6 Iowa Hawkeyes 2/12/1961 2
Maury Buford 25 P 191 6-1 Texas
Tech Red Raide 2/18/1960 3
Kevin Butler 23 K 215 6-0 Georgia Southern Eagles 7/24/1962 0
Brian Cabral 29 LB 233 6-1 Colorado Buffalos 6/23/1956 6
Jimbo Covert 25 T 277 6-4 Pittsburgh Panthers 3/22/1960 2
Richard Dent 25 DE 265 6-5 Tennessee
State Tigers 12/13/1960 2
Dave Duerson 25 DB 207 6-1 Notre
Dame Fighting Irish 11/28/1960 2
Gary Fencik 31 DB 194 6-1 Yale Bulldogs 6/11/1954 9
Leslie Frazier 26 DB 189 6-0 Alcorn
State Braves 4/3/1959 4
Andy Frederick 31 T 257 6-6 New
Mexico Lobos 7/25/1954 8
Steve Fuller 28 QB 198 6-4 Clemson Tigers 1/5/1957 6
Willie Gault 25 WR 181 6-0 Tennessee Volunteers 9/5/1960 2
Shaun Gayle 23 DB 202 5-11 Ohio
State Buckeyes 3/8/1962 1
Dennis Gentry 26 WR-RB 181 5-8 Baylor Bears 2/10/1959 3
Dan Hampton 28 DE-DT 264 6-5 Arkansas Razorbacks 9/19/1957 6
Mike Hartenstine 32 DE 251 6-3 Penn
State Nittney Lions 7/27/1953 10
Jay Hilgenberg 26 C-G 259 6-3 Iowa Hawkeyes 3/21/1959 4
Stefan Humphries 23 G 265 6-3 Michigan Wolverines 1/20/1962 1
Tyrone Keys 26 DE-LB 272 6-7 Mississippi
State Bulldogs 10/24/1959 2
James Maness 22 WR 174 6-1 TCU Horned Frogs 5/1/1963 0
Ken Margerum 27 WR 175 6-0 Stanford Cardinals 10/5/1958 4
Wilber Marshall 23 LB 231 6-1 Florida Gators 4/18/1962 1
Dennis McKinnon 24 WR 185 6-1 Florida
State Seminoles 8/22/1961 2
Jim McMahon 26 QB 195 6-1 BYU Cougars 8/21/1959 3
Steve McMichael 28 DT-NT 270 6-2 Texas Longhorns 10/17/1957 5
Emery Moorehead 31 TE-WR 218 6-2 Colorado Buffalos 3/22/1954 8
Jim Morrissey 23 LB 223 6-3 Michigan
State Spartans 12/24/1962 0
Keith Ortego 22 WR 180 6-0 McNeese
State Cowboys 8/30/1963 0
Walter Payton 31 RB 200 5-10 Jackson
State Blue Bengals 7/25/1954 10
William Perry 23 DT-DE 320 6-2 Clemson Tigers 12/16/1962 0
Reggie Phillips 25 DB 170 5-10 SMU Gamecocks 12/12/1960 0
Mike Richardson 24 DB 187 6-0 Arizona
State Sun Devils 5/23/1961 2
Ron Rivera 23 LB 239 6-3 California Golden Bears 1/7/1962 1
Thomas Sanders 23 RB 203 5-11 Texas
A&M Aggies 1/4/1962 0
Mike Singletary 27 LB 230 6-0 Baylor Bears 10/9/1958 4
Matt Suhey 27 RB 217 5-11 Penn
State Nittany Lions 7/7/1958 5
Ken Taylor 22 DB 185 6-1 Oregon
State Beavers 9/2/1963 0
Tom Thayer 24 G-C 271 6-4 Notre
Dame Fighting Irish 8/16/1961 0
Calvin Thomas 25 RB 239 5-11 Illinois Illini 1/7/1960 3
Cliff Thrift 29 LB 232 6-1 East
Central OK Tigers 5/3/1956 6
Mike Tomczak 23 QB 202 6-1 Ohio
State Buckeyes 10/23/1962 0
Keith Van Horne 28 T 281 6-6 USC Trojans 11/6/1957 4
Henry Waechter 26 DE-DT 270 6-5 Nebraska Cornhuskers 2/13/1959 3
Otis Wilson 28 LB 227 6-2 Louisville Cardinals 9/15/1957 5
Tim Wrightman 25 TE 237 6-3 UCLA Bruins 3/27/1960 0
Staff
1985 Chicago Bears staff
Front office
Owner – Virginia Halas McCaskey
Team president – Michael McCaskey
General manager – Jerry Vainisi
Director of player personnel – Bill Tobin
Equipment manager – Ray Earley
Assistant equipment manager – Gary Haeger
Scout – Jim Dooley
Regional Scout – Rod Graves
Director of video services – Mitch Friedman
Video team – Pete McGrane
Head coaches
Head coach – Mike Ditka
Offensive coaches
Offensive coordinator – Ed Hughes
Offensive specialist – Ted Plumb
Running backs – Johnny Roland
Offensive line – Dick Stanfel
Defensive coaches
Defensive coordinator – Buddy Ryan
Defensive line – Dale Haupt
Secondary – Jim LaRue
Special teams coaches
Special teams/tight ends – Steve Kazor
Strength and conditioning
Trainer – Fred Caito
Assistant trainer – Brian McCaskey
Weightlifting/Strength – Clyde Emrich
Career history
Playing
Chicago Bears (1961–1966)
Philadelphia Eagles (1967–1968)
Dallas Cowboys (1969–1972)
Coaching
Dallas Cowboys (1973–1981)
Assistant head coach & special teams coordinator
Chicago Bears (1982–1992)
Head coach
New Orleans Saints (1997–1999)
Head coach
Awards and highlights
As a player
Super Bowl champion (VI)
NFL champion (1963)
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (1961)
2× First-team All-Pro (1963, 1964)
3× Second-team All-Pro (1962, 1965–1966)
5× Pro Bowl (1961–1965)
NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team
Chicago Bears No. 89 retired
100 greatest Bears of All-Time
Unanimous All-American (1960)
2× First-team All-Eastern (1959, 1960)
Pittsburgh Panthers No. 89 retired
As a coach
2× Super Bowl champion (XII, XX)
2× AP NFL Coach of the Year (1985, 1988)
Career NFL statistics
Receptions 427
Receiving yards 5,812
Receiving touchdowns 43
