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Mike Ditka, legendary Bears coach and Hall of Fame tight end, dies at 86

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WhyNFL Sports DeskPublished Updated
Mike Ditka at the NFL Experience in 2008
File photo: Mike Ditka at the NFL Experience in 2008. Photo: Tami Heilemann, U.S. Department of Defense / Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

“The quintessential Chicago Bear”

Mike Ditka, who won NFL championships with the Chicago Bears as a player and as a coach and became one of the most recognizable figures in the sport’s history, has died. He was 86.

Ditka’s family announced his death in a statement on Friday.

Hall of Fame player, Super Bowl-winning coach

Nicknamed “Iron Mike,” Ditka helped revolutionize the tight end position after the Bears selected him fifth overall in the 1961 draft. He earned Rookie of the Year honors, made multiple Pro Bowls and won the 1963 NFL Championship. He was later enshrined in both the College Football Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

As head coach, he led the 1985 Bears – one of the most dominant teams in league history – to the Super Bowl XX title. Chicago retired his No. 89 in 2013, saying it would be the last number the franchise retires. Tributes from across the NFL and beyond, including from former President Barack Obama, poured in after the announcement.

Sources: ChicagoBears.com, Pro Football Rumors.

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