Mike Ditka, Bears Legend and Da Coach, Dies at 86

Mike Ditka has died at 86. His family announced Friday morning that the Hall of Fame tight end and the coach of the 1985 Chicago Bears had passed away, and the Bears confirmed it with a statement calling his impact on the franchise "immeasurable."

"It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father, grandfather, and friend, Mike Ditka," the family said. "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."

Iron Mike, the player

Before he was Da Coach, he was Iron Mike. The Bears took him fifth overall in 1961 out of Pittsburgh, and he was NFL Rookie of the Year right away with 56 catches for 1,076 yards and 12 touchdowns. He made the Pro Bowl in each of his first five seasons and was the leading receiver on the 1963 team that won the NFL championship.

The play Bears fans still talk about came that same year in Pittsburgh, when he bowled over several Steelers defenders on a 63-yard catch that set up a late game-tying field goal. He finished his playing days with the Eagles and Cowboys, won Super Bowl VI in Dallas, and in 1988 became the first tight end ever enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Da Coach and the '85 Bears

George Halas hired him in 1982, a few years after Ditka wrote him a letter asking for the job. Over 11 seasons he went 112-68 with six NFC Central titles and three trips to the NFC Championship Game, and he was named NFL Coach of the Year in 1985 and 1988.

And then there is 1985. The Bears went 15-1, shut out the Giants 21-0 and the Rams 24-0 in the playoffs, then crushed the Patriots 46-10 in Super Bowl XX. Ditka is the only person in the modern era to win a league title with the same team as both a player and a head coach.

His players remember the edge more than the record. "He always had that saying 'ACE,' and it stood for attitude, character and enthusiasm," former guard Tom Thayer told ChicagoBears.com. Former receiver Tom Waddle put it simply: "He was larger than life."

More than football

Ditka was born Michael Keller Dyczko in Carnegie, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Aliquippa. After coaching, he became a fixture on TV and Chicago radio, coached the Saints from 1997 to 1999, and had his Bears number retired in 2013. He also backed Gridiron Greats, a group that helps retired players with financial and medical needs.

"We extend our love, prayers, and heartfelt condolences to the Ditka family," the Bears said, "and join all Bears fans in deep sadness and reverence as we remember and honor Mike Ditka."

The Bears play at Green Bay on Sunday, and it is hard to picture a more fitting stage for the first game without him. Win it for Da Coach.