This past Friday was a sad day for the football world as it lost a true icon of the game. “Iron” Mike Ditka passed away at the age of 86, and whether you are a Bears fan or not, this one felt similar to losing John Madden a few years ago. The 1988 Pro Football Hall of Famer, like Madden, was larger than life around and away from the game of football and that legendary persona led to him being popular with generations of people. He truly led a life that they make movies about, something often said but in his case it’s not an exaggeration.
Ditka was born in Carnegie Pennsylvania in 1939 though as you’ve probably heard him say at some point in your life, he spent most of his youth in Aliquippa, PA. His father was a welder in the Western Pennsylvania iron works industry, but Mike was looking to walk his own path in life, at one point expressing interest in being dentist. But Ditka blossomed as a three sport star at Aliquippa high school, notably on the football field and hardwood under “Press” Maravich, respected basketball coach and father to hoops Hall of Famer “pistol” Pete Maravich. As good as he was at basketball, Ditka’s love was football and he went to Pittsburgh on a scholarship where he starred as their tight end and punter.
Ditka had a fabulous collegiate career, and was a unanimous first team all American as a senior, finishing his time at Pitt with 45 catches, 730 yards and seven touchdowns. He was later recognized for those achievements with an election to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1986 and his number 89 is retired at Pitt. This most immediate recognition he’d receive though was George “Papa Bear” Halas selecting him fifth overall in the 1961 NFL Draft. Interestingly enough he was picked eighth overall by the Houston Oilers in the AFL draft, but he wasn’t going to pass up on the Bears prestige.
He was right to choose Chicago as Halas had big plans for the PA native. Ditka is the beginning of a lineage of more explosive, pass catching tight ends in the league, as number 89 advanced the use of the position. Gone were the days of solely being a “blocking tight end” as Ditka had 58 catches and 12 touchdowns as a rookie. This new offensive dimension helped take Chicago the 1963 NFL Title over the Giants, by a final score of 14-10, giving Ditka his first ring in a career that would be filled with them.
He’d stay with the Bears until 1967 when he was traded to his home state Eagles, a move that broke his heart as he didn’t want to leave Chicago, causing him to fall out Halas. His career would stagnate a bit, but that pause didn’t last long. In a rare Eagles to Cowboys trade, Ditka was traded to Dallas where his strengths as a tight end were brought to the forefront by head coach Tom Landry. While he was a reserve player, Ditka made contributions in each of his three seasons with the Cowboys, the biggest of which was a touchdown in their 24-3 Super Bowl VI win over the Dolphins.
While he’d retire in 1973, he wasn’t out of work long as Landry scooped him up to serve as an assistant & receivers coach. He would spend nine seasons as an assistant under Landry, helping the Cowboys make the playoffs eight times, win six division titles, three NFC championships, and notably, another Super Bowl title in 1977. As much as he was seemingly enjoying his time in Texas, sweet home Chicago was calling out to Ditka, who decided to write a letter to George Halas expressing a desire to bury the hatchet. He’d write him again campaigning to be the head coach of the Bears and Halas took him up on it, one of Papa Bears finest decisions as owner of the team.
Ditka would get to work turning over the Bears culture prior to the 1982 season and while the clip above makes him come off as brash, his confidence was well placed. Ditka got Chicago going and within two years of taking over, they’d reach the 1984 NFC Title game against the 49ers. While they’d fall to Walsh and Montana like many did before them, the Bears were close and that momentum set up Ditka’s and defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan’s masterpiece of a season in 1985.
Simply put, the 85’ Bears are a top three team in the history of the league. Their dominance was unmatched on their way to a 15-1 regular season, the lone loss of which came on a Monday Night in Miami to Dan Marino who was trying to preserve the 72’ Fins legacy. The “monsters of the midway” outscored opponents 456-198 for the year with Buddy’s legendary 46 defense just brutalizing quarterbacks. They boasted seven Hall of Famers, amongst them the best linebacker of all time Mike Singletary and sweetness himself Walter Payton. They hard larger than life figures, literally in the case of William “refrigerator” Perry, and QB Jim McMahon. They saved their best work for the playoffs, destroying the up and coming Giants, and then shutting out superstar back Eric Dickerson and the Rams on a frozen Soldier Field afternoon. They finished it off by blasting the Patriots 46-10 in New Orleans to win Ditka’s promised Super Bowl right on time in his three year schedule, completing an all time season.
He’d remain in charge of the Bears until 1993 while having several more successful seasons, all of which however fell short of winning the Super Bowl. Ditka would finish his time in the Windy City as the second winningest coach in team history behind Halas (318) with 106 wins and go into broadcasting. He wouldn’t stay in TV long though as he’d return to coaching taking over the Saints in 1997. His time in New Orleans, aside from being mostly defined by frustrating 6-10 seasons, was really know for two things. One, he traded all of his picks in the 1999 draft for the right to select Texas running back Ricky Williams. Two, his legendary anger seemed to be at a constant boiling point, leading to some all-time great press conferences.
He was fired in January of 2000 and would go about carving out the next chapter of his life. Ditka would return to broadcasting on ESPN, working on Sunday NFL Countdown, a role I remember him fondly in as I’m sure you do as well. He’d get into a number of business ventures including Ditka branded wines and sausages and open a chain of steakhouses called “Ditka’s” which yours truly dined at in Chicago twice, a pretty solid meal and atmosphere if you ask me.
Perhaps most notably from his off the field life, Ditka is best known for his acting career, a career that boasts 14 credits appearing mostly as himself. He appeared on Entourage, Cheers, 3rd Rock from the Sun and was at his best in 2005’s Kicking and Screaming opposite Will Ferrell. He’s legitimately hilarious in the role and it introduced him to my generation before we’d go onto really know him for his life in and around football. He was also of course immortalized in the SNL “Da Bears” sketch, an iconic set of characters that still endures to this day based off his persona.
Iron Mike truly did it all and really went above and beyond what I could capture here in this piece. He was respected by his players and beloved by Bears fans and football fanatics alike. He was both a figure of success and burning desire s not nearly enough people like him out there in sports world or anywhere else for that matter in today’s culture. He had passion for what he did and cared for those around him. Hopefully the league celebrates his memory well this weekend and Ben Johnson rocks the iconic sweater vest.
I’m not a Bears fan and this isn’t a Chicago sports blog, but that doesn’t matter. As a lover of football history Ditka and his 85 team are near the top of my list of favorites and I just couldn’t pass up writing this about him in the wake of his passing. All I know is, Bears by a billion Sunday at Green Bay. If I can leave you with one last clip, I’d like to let two far better sports writers, analysts and actual a Bears fan than I’ll ever be have the last word. Rest in Peace Coach Ditka, take it away PTI!
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