Football Legend Mike Ditka Dies at 86
By Sandra Rhodes (/journals/sandra-rhodes)
Mike Ditka, a three-time Super Bowl champion and two-time NFL Coach of the Year, died on Friday, his family announced.
He was 86.
Before he was known as coach of the 1985 champion Chicago Bears, Ditka revolutionized the tight end position after being drafted out of the University of Pittsburgh in 1961.
The news of Dikta's death was shared on social media by Jarrett Payton, son of Hall of Fame running back Walter Payton. Payton played for Ditka in Chicago.
"It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mike Ditka," the family said in a statement shared by 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."
In his first season, he caught 58 passes for 1,076 yards and 12 touchdowns as he received Rookie of the Year honors. Ditka became the first tight end in league history to surpass 1,000 yards; his 1,076 yards still stood as the most receiving yards by a rookie tight end until Brock Bowers of the Las Vegas Raiders broke that mark in 2024.
Ditka was named to the Pro Bowl in his first five seasons and was an All-Pro in 1963, when the Bears won the NFL championship, and 1964.
He was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 1967. He played his final four seasons in Dallas, scoring a touchdown for the Cowboys in Super Bowl 6.
He retired in 1973 and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1988. He was the first tight end admitted into Canton.
He became the Bears' head coach in 1982.
Ditka led the 1985 Bears – considered one of the greatest NFL teams of all time – to victory in Super Bowl 20 after a 15-1 regular season.
He went 121-96 in 14 seasons between the Bears and New Orleans Saints, finishing his coaching career in 1999.