Mike Ditka, Hall of Fame tight end and Bears' Super Bowl-winning coach, dies at age 86

Mike Ditka, a Hall of Fame tight end and the coach of the Chicago Bears' only Super Bowl championship team, has died at the age of 86, his family announced on Friday.

Ditka's long list of accomplishments includes being a member of both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame, the 1961 NFL Offensive Player of the Year and a two-time NFL Coach of the Year. The first tight end inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Ditka's No. 89 has been retired by the Bears.

"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."

Ditka was raised in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, the same area that produced fellow Hall of Famers Tony Dorsett, Ty Law and Darrelle Revis. He went to the University of Pittsburgh, aspiring to be a dentist. It quickly became clear, however, that football would become Ditka's chosen profession.

Following a decorated college career (he averaged a whopping 24.3 yards per catch at Pitt), Ditka was taken with the fifth overall pick in the 1961 NFL Draft. That season, he became the first tight end in NFL history to go over 1,000 yards receiving.

Ditka led the Bears to the 1963 NFL title and later helped the Cowboys capture their first title at the end of the 1971 season. He caught a touchdown pass from Roger Staubach during Dallas' 24-3 win over Miami in Super Bowl VI.

After retiring as a player, Ditka joined Tom Landry's staff as the Cowboys' special teams coach. He won a second Super Bowl in that role at the end of the 1977 season.

In 1982, Ditka returned to Chicago to become the Bears' coach. Just three years after landing the job, Ditka helped lead the Bears to an 18-1 record that concluded with a 46-10 win over the Patriots in Super Bowl XX.

In Chicago, Ditka enjoyed a successful (albeit at times volatile) working relationship with legendary defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, who was the architect of the Bears' vaunted 46 defense. Fittingly, both men were carried off the field following Chicago's victory over New England.

"The '85 beers would not have been the '85 beers without Buddy Bryan," Ditka said in 2018 shortly after Ryan's passing. "We won the Super Bowl because of our defense. I mean, you'd have to be a fool to say otherwise. We had great players on offense, and Walter Payton and Willie Gault and some of the other guys we had, and we had a wonderful offensive line. But our defense is why we won."

Ditka's success as the Bears' coach made him an icon in the Windy City. He was imitated often on Saturday Night Live, where he was affectionately referred to as "Da Coach." Bears fans embraced his tough, rugged demeanor that fit Chicago's blue-collar spirit like a glove.

Ditka coached the Bears for 11 years before getting into broadcasting in 1993. He briefly returned to the sidelines with the Saints in 1997. His tenure in New Orleans is largely remembered for trading each of the team's 1999 NFL Draft picks to Washington in exchange for the No. 1 overall pick. The Saints used that pick to draft Ricky Williams, the reigning Heisman Trophy Winner.

Ditka returned to broadcasting following his run in New Orleans (and in 2005, starred alongside Will Ferrell in the movie "Kicking and Screaming") but had kept a low profile in recent years. In 2020, he was at the Super Bowl as part of the NFL's 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.